27 March 2011 Last updated at 12:56 GMT
Syria unrest: Twelve killed in Latakia protest Anti-government demonstrators chant slogans in Damascus, Syria - 25 March 2011 There have been protests in a number of Syrian cities, including the capital Damascus Twelve people were killed on Saturday during anti-government protests in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia, the government has confirmed. It said civilians and security personnel were among the fatalities. Dozens of people have been killed in a week of protests against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad. A presidential spokesman said Mr Assad would address the nation "very soon" and a decision to lift decades-old emergency laws had already been taken. The government said at least 200 people were also hurt in Latakia and blamed the deaths and injuries on unidentified gunmen shooting from rooftops. Two of the dead were said to be unidentified gunmen. Syrian troops have now entered Latakia, 350km (220 miles) north-west of the capital Damascus, to try to restore calm, officials said. Offices of the ruling Baath party were set on fire there on Saturday. Cleric blamed Presidential spokeswoman Buthaina Shaaban told Agence France-Presse news agency: "President Assad will address his people very soon to explain the situation and clarify and elaborate on the reforms that have already been decided." Map She said a decision to lift emergency laws in place since 1963 had "already been taken". Earlier she said the authorities intended to put constitutional and party changes before the people in a referendum as soon as possible. She also blamed a Sunni Muslim cleric in Doha, Sheik Youssef al-Qaradawi, for inciting the violence in Latakia, saying it had been trouble free before he spoke on Friday. Protests had continued in several towns and cities on Saturday. The biggest protests were in Tafas, 18km (11 miles) north of the city of Deraa, which is close to the Jordan border and which has become the centre of the challenge to the 11-year rule of President Assad. Thousands took to the streets in Tafas to bury three protesters who witnesses said had been killed by security forces on Friday. Baath party offices were burned down there, along with a police station. Hundreds of people also renewed demonstrations in Deraa. Protesters climbed on to the rubble of a statue of ex-President Hafez al-Assad that was torn down on Friday and resumed anti-government chants. Some were holding cardboard signs reading "the people want the downfall of the regime", witnesses said. Unverified amateur footage purportedly showing protesters in Deraa on Friday tearing down a statue On Saturday, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 200 inmates, mostly Islamists, were freed from Damascus' Saidnaya prison. However, reports about the total number involved differ, with another human rights activist being quoted by Reuters as saying that 70 political prisoners were freed. The Syrian government has so far made no official comment on the issue but Ms Shaaban said she would be surprised if her country had hundreds of such detainees. ------------------------------------ Post message: [email protected] Subscribe : [email protected] Unsubscribe : [email protected] List owner : [email protected] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
