Friday Bloody Friday! Part One

Assad’s security officers use deadly force against protesters in Deraa, Douma, Harasta and Homs in what could be the deadliest day so far in the Syrian Revolution.

Assad security forces opened fire on protesters in Deraa leaving dozens wounded and 4 confirmed fatalities so far, although other reports put the number closer to 20.

Inhabitants of other cities and town in Horan rushed to the aid of the people in Deraa as we have seen before. By the time they arrived, the security forces had withdrawn, leaving much weapons behind, which the protesters set aside, seeing the act of abandoning weapons as a trick to lure them into suing violence. There have also been reports of clashes between army troops and members of the security forces, but further confirmation is still needed.  

The Damascene suburbs of Harasta and Douma have also witnessed shootings, according to eyewitness reports, so did Homs in the Bayyadah Neighborhood and the town of Hawleh. Regular communications with these neighborhoods has been interrupted.

Security forces, in the guise of Assad supporters have assaulted protesters near Al-Rifai Mosque in Kafar Sousseh. The Mosque has become the center of protests over the last three weeks, but its closeness to downtown Damascus makes security wary of using gunfire and snipers as they do in the suburbs and in other provinces. For this reason, staging pro-Assad rallies and clashing with protesters has become their preferred method in this case. Of course, participants in the pro-Assad rallies are mostly security people in civvies, as evidenced by the fact that most of them carry electric batons which they use to beat protesters.

There have also been major protests in Hama, Deir Ezzor, Qamishly, Dirbassieh, Tartous, Jableh, Banyas, Lattakia, Albou Kamal, Dariyyah, Amoudah, Al-Tal, Idlib, among many other cities and towns all over the country.

More to follow. 

Videos

Deraa: Protesters under fire from security forces taking shelter in the Governor’s Office

Deraa: Protests in the town of Jassem

Deraa: protests in the town of Hara

Damascus: protests in Harasta Suburb before shootings began

Damascus: protests in Darayyah Suburb  

Damascus: protesters at the Rifai Mosque assailed by security forces

Tartous Protests

Banyas Protests

Amoudah Protests (Kurdish majority)

 Qamishly: Kurdish protesters carried signs saying “We want freedom not nationality,” in allusion to Assad’s decree yesterday to grant Syrian nationality to the denaturalized Kurds.     

Hama Protests