Syrian activists call for daily protests

[Lankan Ranger]

Syrian activists call for daily protests

Activists have called for daily rallies in Syria, a day after at least 27 protesters were killed in pro-democracy demonstrations.

Most of the casualties occurred in the southern city of Daraa, where thousands were expected to attend funerals on Saturday.

"After midday prayers, they are getting ready to bury at least 17 of the dead from Friday and with the surrounding villages that number rises to 27," a rights activist in the city, 60km south of Damascus, told AFP.

"The burial of each of the martyrs will become a demonstration against the regime and in favour of freedom, even if the interior ministry statement warns there will be further violence," another local activist said.

The government says 19 policemen were killed in Friday's unrest and blamed "armed gangs" for the violence.

It has said security forces are authorised to open fire when needed to ensure security.

Fears of a 'bloodbath'

Ammar Qurabi, the chairman of the Syrian National Human Rights Organisation, speaking from Cairo, said there were fears of renewed violence.

"I fear the reaction of the authorities if the people of Daraa express their feelings too vociferously during the funerals, and it could turn into a bloodbath," he told AFP.

Meanwhile, Reuters quoted residents in the coastal city of Latakia as saying security forces had used live ammunition overnight to disperse a pro-democracy protest by hundreds of people in a Sunni district there, causing scores of injuries and possible deaths.

Before accumulating a complete tally from Friday's violence, rights group Amnesty International said it has recorded the names of 171 people killed since the first protesters died in Daraa on March 18.

The group based its figure on information received from rights activists, lawyers and other sources and said the majority appeared to have been killed by live ammunition fired by the security forces.

Protesters in Syria are demanding an end to the country's emergency law, in place since 1963. They are also calling for greater political freedoms, reforms and an end to corruption.

Syrian activists call for daily protests - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

 

[iPakMan]

Syrian activists call for daily protests

Activists have called for daily rallies in Syria, a day after at least 27 protesters were killed in pro-democracy demonstrations.

Most of the casualties occurred in the southern city of Daraa, where thousands were expected to attend funerals on Saturday.

"After midday prayers, they are getting ready to bury at least 17 of the dead from Friday and with the surrounding villages that number rises to 27," a rights activist in the city, 60km south of Damascus, told AFP.

"The burial of each of the martyrs will become a demonstration against the regime and in favour of freedom, even if the interior ministry statement warns there will be further violence," another local activist said.

The government says 19 policemen were killed in Friday's unrest and blamed "armed gangs" for the violence.

It has said security forces are authorised to open fire when needed to ensure security.

Fears of a 'bloodbath'

Ammar Qurabi, the chairman of the Syrian National Human Rights Organisation, speaking from Cairo, said there were fears of renewed violence.

"I fear the reaction of the authorities if the people of Daraa express their feelings too vociferously during the funerals, and it could turn into a bloodbath," he told AFP.

Meanwhile, Reuters quoted residents in the coastal city of Latakia as saying security forces had used live ammunition overnight to disperse a pro-democracy protest by hundreds of people in a Sunni district there, causing scores of injuries and possible deaths.

Before accumulating a complete tally from Friday's violence, rights group Amnesty International said it has recorded the names of 171 people killed since the first protesters died in Daraa on March 18.

The group based its figure on information received from rights activists, lawyers and other sources and said the majority appeared to have been killed by live ammunition fired by the security forces.

Protesters in Syria are demanding an end to the country's emergency law, in place since 1963. They are also calling for greater political freedoms, reforms and an end to corruption.

Syrian activists call for daily protests - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Syrian blood is not as thick as Palestinian blood it seems. I haven`t seen one person here saying anything against the killings of Syrian protestors.

 

[T-Rex]

Syrian blood is not as thick as Palestinian blood it seems. I haven`t seen one person here saying anything against the killings of Syrian protestors.

I express my concern about what's going on in Syria and I think what Bashar Al Asad and his government are doing is wrong. Bashar is acting like the despots in Bahrein. This shows that all the despots are hated by their people but have we seen any response from you about what's going on in Bahrein or Yemen, no, we haven't. Matter of fact, as far as we remember the israelis were supporting Mubarak of Egypt when the blood of the Egyptian people were being shed by the ruthless regime of Mubarak.

 

[iPakMan]

I express my concern about what's going on in Syria and I think what Bashar Al Asad and his government are doing is wrong. Bashar is acting like the despots in Bahrein. This shows that all the despots are hated by their people but have we seen any response from you about what's going on in Bahrein or Yemen, no, we haven't. Matter of fact, as far as we remember the israelis were supporting Mubarak of Egypt when the blood of the Egyptian people were being shed by the ruthless regime of Mubarak.

Your concern? I`m sure the 100 or so dead Syrians appreciate your "concern".

 

[T-Rex]

Your concern? I`m sure the 100 or so dead Syrians appreciate your "concern".

The Egyptians murdered by your friend Mubarak would have appreciated if you had not lent that despot your dirty hand in his dirty deeds. Quite understandably you ignored the rest of the post. This is what the hypocrites do. Tell me how many Egyptians had Mubarak murdered during his despotic rule? Is the number less than the figure we're getting from Syria. BTW I'm not at all defending the regime in Damascus but you did defend the Mubarak regime, did you not? I sincerely want the regime in Damascus removed but do you want to see the regimes in Bahrain, Yemen or Saudi Arabia replaced by democratic governments? We all know the answer, do we not? So, don't try to pretend that you're a champion of democracy and human rights.

 

[iPakMan]

The Egyptians murdered by your friend Mubarak would have appreciated if you had not lent that despot your dirty hand in his dirty deeds. Quite understandably you ignored the rest of the post. This is what the hypocrites do. Tell me how many Egyptians had Mubarak murdered during his despotic rule? Is the number less than the figure we're getting from Syria. BTW I'm not at all defending the regime in Damascus but you did defend the Mubarak regime, did you not? I sincerely want the regime in Damascus removed but do you want to see the regimes in Bahrain, Yemen or Saudi Arabia replaced by democratic governments? We all know the answer, do we not? So, don't try to pretend that you're a champion of democracy and human rights.

I do not care about Yemen, Syria or Egypt. I care about the one`s in power that might threaten my nation, nothing else. I do care when people are brutally murdered and when you so called guardians of your fellow Muslims seem to be lose ability to type your insults towards those regimes while your hands are fast and ready to insult Israel for defending herself. It is your hypocrisy that disturbs me, not your lack of sympathy.

 

[T-Rex]

I do not care about Yemen, Syria or Egypt. I care about the one`s in power that might threaten my nation, nothing else. I do care when people are brutally murdered and when you so called guardians of your fellow Muslims seem to be lose ability to type your insults towards those regimes while your hands are fast and ready to insult Israel for defending herself. It is your hypocrisy that disturbs me, not your lack of sympathy.

Of course, you do not care about Yemen and that's why you should not talk about innocent people being killed be it in Yemen or Syria. BTW how could you be disturbed by hypocrisy, you live and breathe hypocrisy.

 

[iPakMan]

Of course, you do not care about Yemen and that's why you should not talk about innocent people being killed be it in Yemen or Syria. BTW how could you be disturbed by hypocrisy, you live and breathe hypocrisy.

On the contrary, i admittedly say that i do not care for Arabs who hate me. Yemen,Egyptian,Syrian all the same people. I do not care about any of them unless it threatens my country. What is hypocritical though is how you Islamist lovely people and moan about Palestinians but you could care less for the rest of the Arabs or the Chechens or your own damn people.

 

[T-Rex]

On the contrary, i admittedly say that i do not care for Arabs who hate me. Yemen,Egyptian,Syrian all the same people. I do not care about any of them unless it threatens my country. What is hypocritical though is how you Islamist lovely people and moan about Palestinians but you could care less for the rest of the Arabs or the Chechens or your own damn people.

The Arabs do not hate anyone for no reason, they hate those who stole their homelands. On the other hand, you hate those who oppose a country that was based on the crime of the century. You talk of hypocrisy while you live and breathe hypocrisy.