DAMASCUS: Thousands of protesters massed across Syria after Friday prayers as a global outcry widened over a deadly crackdown on month-old, anti-regime demonstrations.
The protesters took to the streets of the restive city of Daraa as well as other centres in the Kurdish-populated north, a day after embattled President Bashar al-Assad unveiled a new government.
Activists said up to 3,000 protesters marched to Daraa centre and more were on their way to the southern city, where security forces shot dead at least seven people a week ago.
“Between 2,500 and 3,000 people showed up at Al-Saraya area in the centre of the city, chanting slogans in favour of freedom and against the hostile regime,” said the activist on condition of anonymity.
Security forces looked on as protesters chanted “Death rather than humiliation!” he said.
Hassan Berro, a rights activist in the north-eastern city of Qamishli, said some 5,000 people emerged from a mosque there on Friday to demonstrate in solidarity with the people of Daraa and Banias.
Banias on the Mediterranean coast, home to Sunnis, Alawite Muslims and Christians, is a key protest centre where government forces killed at least four people on Sunday.
Daraa, some 100-km south of Damascus, has become the focal point of anti-government protests marred by deadly violence since the political unrest erupted in Syria a month ago.
“With our souls and our blood, we sacrifice ourselves for you Daraa,” the protesters shouted in Qamishli, waving Syrian flags. Another 4,500 people also demonstrated against the regime in the three Kurdish neighbourhoods of Raas al-Ain, Amuda and Derbassiye, near Qamishli, Berro told AFP. In Latakia, around 1,000 people gathered in the centre of the north western coastal city’s Ugarit Square, calling for greater freedoms, a human rights activist said.
In Homs, baton-wielding police waded into a crowd of around 4,000 people who started demonstrating after prayers and chanted “freedom, freedom,” political activist Najatai Tayara told AFP by telephone. Police with batons and tear gas clashed with some 2,000 demonstrators in Jobar, north of the capital, a human rights activist said. And about 50 protesters clashed with police in Barz, near Damascus, throwing stones at them, said rights activist Abdel Karim Rihawi.
In a statement late on Friday afternoon, state news agency SANA said “small demonstrations took place” in various parts of the country with people chanting “for Syria, freedom and in homage to the martyrs, without the security forces intervening.”
“Most of the gatherings were short-lived and peaceful and life returned to normal in residential areas,” SANA added.
The protesters took to the streets of the restive city of Daraa as well as other centres in the Kurdish-populated north, a day after embattled President Bashar al-Assad unveiled a new government.
Activists said up to 3,000 protesters marched to Daraa centre and more were on their way to the southern city, where security forces shot dead at least seven people a week ago.
“Between 2,500 and 3,000 people showed up at Al-Saraya area in the centre of the city, chanting slogans in favour of freedom and against the hostile regime,” said the activist on condition of anonymity.
Security forces looked on as protesters chanted “Death rather than humiliation!” he said.
Hassan Berro, a rights activist in the north-eastern city of Qamishli, said some 5,000 people emerged from a mosque there on Friday to demonstrate in solidarity with the people of Daraa and Banias.
Banias on the Mediterranean coast, home to Sunnis, Alawite Muslims and Christians, is a key protest centre where government forces killed at least four people on Sunday.
Daraa, some 100-km south of Damascus, has become the focal point of anti-government protests marred by deadly violence since the political unrest erupted in Syria a month ago.
“With our souls and our blood, we sacrifice ourselves for you Daraa,” the protesters shouted in Qamishli, waving Syrian flags. Another 4,500 people also demonstrated against the regime in the three Kurdish neighbourhoods of Raas al-Ain, Amuda and Derbassiye, near Qamishli, Berro told AFP. In Latakia, around 1,000 people gathered in the centre of the north western coastal city’s Ugarit Square, calling for greater freedoms, a human rights activist said.
In Homs, baton-wielding police waded into a crowd of around 4,000 people who started demonstrating after prayers and chanted “freedom, freedom,” political activist Najatai Tayara told AFP by telephone. Police with batons and tear gas clashed with some 2,000 demonstrators in Jobar, north of the capital, a human rights activist said. And about 50 protesters clashed with police in Barz, near Damascus, throwing stones at them, said rights activist Abdel Karim Rihawi.
In a statement late on Friday afternoon, state news agency SANA said “small demonstrations took place” in various parts of the country with people chanting “for Syria, freedom and in homage to the martyrs, without the security forces intervening.”
“Most of the gatherings were short-lived and peaceful and life returned to normal in residential areas,” SANA added.
