Security Forces in Syria Continue Crackdown on Protestors

Bashir al-Assad (50.16.193.68)

At least 200 people marched to the centre of Damascus in Syria after the Friday prayer in support of the people of Deraa, who had been protesting for more than a week against corruption and have been subjected to a violent crackdown, in what had been deemed as the “Day of Dignity”.

Secret police interfered and broke the demonstration, arresting dozens of people, after they had chanted slogans that said they were sympathetic of the people of Deraa, and met with people that were supporting the regime of president Bashar al-Assad. Gunfire was reported by the Reuters in the southern part of the city.

According to human rights activists who were quoting witnesses thousands of people were gathered in Douma, a little town outside Damascus.

Protests in Syria (yalibnan.com)

Hundreds were reported also in the city of Deraa, the second largest in Syria, where, after the Friday prayer, people gathered, honked horns of cars and motorcycles and chanted that Deraa would not be humiliated. Police is said to have been present without interfering.

Meanwhile, Syrian authorities announced that they would study the possibility of putting an end to the emergency rule, which had been in place since 1963, when the Baath Party took over.

Legalizing political parties is another idea the president and his regime are considering, a presidential adviser has said, along with economic measures such as increasing salaries.

Al-Jazeera reports that more than 100 people were killed in a week of protests, while the regime says that the security forces never used ammunition against the people and that the party in power and the president himself have nothing against peaceful demonstrations.

Regime is playing the card of Zionist maneuvering alluding to the fact that the events in the country this week were provoked by those who do not like the stance of Syria on “Zionism and US schemes.”