Friday, April 22, 2011

Syria unrest: 'Bloodiest day' as troops fire on rallies

Protesters in Syria have reported 60 people killed by security forces - the highest daily death toll in five weeks of unrest against President Assad.
Protesters were shot when they gathered following Muslim Friday prayers, a day after the country's decades-long state of emergency was finally lifted.
They could be heard demanding the "overthrow of the regime".
President Bashar al-Assad's lifting of the emergency had been seen as a concession to them.
At least 260 people are said to have died since unrest began last month and Friday appears to be one of the bloodiest days so far.
In their first joint statement since the protests broke out, activists coordinating the mass demonstrations demanded the establishment of a democratic political system.
'Rain of bullets' There was no immediate confirmation of deaths by the authorities. The state news agency Sana said only that security forces had used tear gas and water cannon "to prevent clashes between protesters and citizens and protect public property", and "some" people had been injured.
According to witnesses and activists, many of the deaths occurred in Ezra - a village near the flash-point town of Deraa - and in the Douma suburb of Damascus
Mobile phone image of Syrian troops in Homs (21 April 2011) A mobile phone image released by AP is said to show troops in Homs on Thursday
Unconfirmed reports spoke of a further two deaths in Homs, two in the Damascus district of Barzeh and one in Hirak, also near Deraa.
Shooting began in Ezra when protesters marched to the village mayor's office, and one of the dead is said to be a boy of 11.
"Bullets started flying over our heads like heavy rain," a witness was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.
A witness in Douma told Reuters he had helped carry three people with bullet wounds to their legs.
One resident in Homs, a city of 700,000 people in the west, told the BBC she had heard shooting and believed three separate protests were under way in the city.
"The security forces are just dispersing the protesters using live bullets," said the resident, who did not wish to be named.
"There are more than 10,000 people. I've been speaking to some of them because I can't go out. It's very dangerous for me."
BBC map
In Hama, a city in central Syria similar in size to Homs, security forces are said to have also opened fire on a crowd of protesters.
International news organisations are largely refused entry to Syria at the moment, limiting the scope of the information they can gather about events there.
The demands issued by the "Syrian local organising committees" include:
  • An end to torture, killings, arrests and violence against demonstrators
  • Three days of state-sanctioned mourning for deaths so far
  • An independent investigation into the deaths of protesters and judicial proceedings in the light of evidence revealed
  • Release of all political prisoners
  • Reform of Syria's constitution, including a two-term presidential limit
'Armed insurrection' The Syrian government says it is listening to protesters' demands and President Assad is pushing through a programme of reforms. Thursday's concessions included abolishing state security courts and allowing peaceful protests.
President Bashar al-Assad President Bashar al-Assad says protesters' demands for reform have been heard
However, other laws give the government wide-ranging powers to detain activists and suppress dissent.
The new law requires Syrians to seek permission from the interior ministry for demonstrations. Some lawyers have said this continues to restrict the freedom of assembly in the same way as the emergency law.
President Assad said last week there would be no more "excuse" for demonstrations once the state of emergency had been lifted but analysts say increasing numbers of opposition activists are calling for the downfall of the regime.
Syria's unprecedented wave of unrest has been inspired by uprisings against authoritarian regimes in Tunisia and Egypt.
However, Damascus has said an "armed insurrection" by Salafist groups is taking place in Homs and Baniyas.
Salafism is a strict form of Sunni Islam which many Arab governments equate with militant groups like al-Qaeda.
Overall, the unrest poses the gravest threat to President Assad's rule since he succeeded his father Hafez 11 years ago.
Source-BBC

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