Middle East
Death toll mounts on Syria's 'day of rage'
Up to 50 killed by security forces, activists say, as thousands defy government
repression to call for freedom in Syria.
Last Modified: 29 Apr 2011 10:13
The protests spreading and intensifying across the country have drawn a cross
section of Syrian society [Reuters]
Dozens of people have been shot dead by Syrian security forces, activists
claim, as tens of thousands took to the streets in anti-government rallies
dubbed a "day of rage".
Activists said at least 50 protesters were killed on Friday, although Al
Jazeera cannot independently verify the death tolls.
At least 15 people were reported killed near Deraa where security forces fired
on thousands of protesters trying to enter the besieged southern city, sources
told Al Jazeera's Rula Amin.
Deraa has been the scene of regular protests against Syrian president Bashar
al-Assad's rule since anti-government demonstrations began, but the city has
also borne the brunt of weeks of government repression.
The government claims its forces are battling "extremist and terrorist groups
in the town and said two soldiers were killed on Friday.
"Deraa has been under siege since Monday morning. Residents from the
surrounding villages were trying to break the siege as they tried to get
supplies," our correspondent said.
"They met with hostile security forces who fired at them and we know that at
least 15 people were killed.
"One resident told me that that people do not have supplies, no communication,
the situation is dire and they wonder what the security forces want from the
town," or correspondent said.
The latest spate of violence comes as the UN Human Rights Council voted on
Friday for a revised US-led resolution on the crackdown in Syria that asked the
UN rights chief to send an investigative mission to the country.
The resolution also "unequivocally condemns the use of lethal violence against
peaceful protesters by the Syrian authorities... and urges the Syrian
government to immediately put an end to all human rights violations."
Protests in Damascus
Protests against Assad took place in most major centres around Syria on Friday,
in a repeat of pro-democracy rallies that have become the norm after weekly
Muslim prayers. Activists called on protesters to express solidarity with
Deraa, where more than 100 people died a week ago.
Friday brought the largest anti-regime protest in the Syrian capital since the
protests began last month. An estimated 15,000 protesters demonstrated in
Damascus, many calling for the toppling of the regime.
After the protesters had dispersed, a small pro-government demonstration took
place with demonstrators carrying sticks and chanting: "With our soul and
blood, we sacrifice to you Bashar."
Witnesses told the AP news agency that security forces had fired on around
2,000 protesters chanting "God, Syria and freedom only" in the central Damascus
neighbourhood of Midan.
Large demonstrations were also reported in the central city of Homs, the
coastal cities of Baniyas and Latakia, the northern cities of Raqqa and Hama,
and the northeastern town of Qamishli.
'Death and devastation'
Meanwhile, an eyewitness in Deraa, speaking to Al Jazeera on Friday from close
to the Omari Mosque that has been a focus for the uprising, described a scene
of death and devastation.
He confirmed earlier testimony from a separate source of a split in the
military forces sent by Assad to lay siege to the city.
The witness said he had collected the names of the dead from different
neighbourhoods and counted 25 bodies in his own area.
"Some areas smell really bad due to the bodies rotting in the street. No one
can collect them for fear of being shot," he said, the sound of continuous
gunfire audible over the phone. Those bodies which have been collected are
being stored in refrigerated lorries, he said.
"Deraa is completely surrounded by tanks and armed troops. There are snipers on
the roofs of government buildings and tall buildings. They are hiding behind
water tanks and some are even hiding in the minarets of mosques."
The Reuters news agency reported on Friday that a human rights campaigner
revealed that makeshift morgues in Deraa contain at least 83 corpses, including
women and children.
We counted 83 bodies so far, many stored in refrigerator trucks. Most of the
bullets went through heads and chests, indicating that snipers most likely had
done the shooting,"Tamer al-Jahamani, a prominent lawyer in Deraa, told Reuters.
Muslim Brotherhood backs protests
Significantly, Friday's demonstrations have the backing of the outlawed
Islamist group, the Muslim Brotherhood, which was crushed by the regime in 1982.
It is the first time that the Brotherhood has called directly for protests in
Syria since pro-democracy demonstrations against Assad erupted nearly six weeks
ago.
A declaration by the Brotherhood, sent to Reuters news agency by its leadership
in exile on Thursday, said: "Do not let the regime besiege your compatriots.
Chant with one voice for freedom and dignity. Do not allow the tyrant to
enslave you. God is great."
So far, the Brotherhood has been trying to keep a low profile, as the
government has been trying to link them to protests, Amin said.
The protests have drawn a cross section of Syrian society, which has been under
Baath Party rule for the last 48 years.
The younger Assad kept intact the autocratic political system he inherited in
2000 from his father, Hafez al-Assad.
Source:
Al Jazeera and agencies
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