Syrian protesters call for the departure of Assad in Syria’s biggest day of protest.
Friday July 1, 2011
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators take to the streets all across Syria to demand departure of Bashar Al-Assad in the largest single day of protests since the beginning of the revolution …
According to eyewitness around 25 protesters have reportedly been killed in Homs, the Damascene suburbs of Al-Qadam (2) Darayya (1) and different communities in the restive province of Idlib, including a mother and her daughter who died during shelling of their village of Al-Barah …
More than 200 communities across Syria took part in today’s protests, with the largest protest taking place in Hama City with over 400,000 participants, followed by Homs City (100,000) then Deir Ezzor City (60,000) …
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The worst violence is seen in Idlib province as huge protests erupt across Syria, including in Homs and Hama, with people rejecting Bashar Assad's pledge of reforms and demanding that he step down.
The regime of Bashar Assad is tottering. His fall would probably trigger a short-term surge in violence, but a better government would emerge.
Activists claim 12 demonstrators were killed amid biggest anti-Assad protest to grip country.
What further brutality does the Syrian regime have to commit for Barack Obama’s government to acknowledge it can’t be reformed, it can only be replaced?
Non-protesters from Mr. Assad's ruling Alawite sect report being fearful of the growing lawlessness and worry about backlash against them. Very few sectarian clashes have so far been reported.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Nato head Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said there will be no military intervention in Syria despite similar levels of government-sponsored violence as in Libya.
Attend the Nation’s Largest Rally in Solidarity with the Syrian People – July 3rd 4:00pm - 7:00pm, Downtown Chicago, 232 Ohio St. Chicago, IL
The Syrian people have spoken once again: they want an end to the regime, and the immediate departure of Bashar Al-Assad. Should opposition groups fail to adopt this clear demand of theirs for whatever reason or under whatever pretext, they will likely be denounced by the protesters in the coming weeks, intentions notwithstanding. Bashar & family & Co. will not be part of the solution, they have made that clear enough for our people to see, and they won’t be wasting any more time hoping against hope itself that this is not the case. They have done so for 11 years under Bashar, and for decades under his father, before they finally reached the boiling point. But now they are boiling, now they are dying, for freedom.
Many in the opposition fear for the stability and security of the country, and that’s why some of them might believe that a dialog with the Assads is the better solution to get out of this impasse. But the protesters fear for their freedom, now that it is so close, that they have finally broken the barrier of fear and bought into the logic of putting “freedom first” instead of security first, as the opposition have been advising them for so many years, it seems foolish, treasonous even, for the self-same opposition to now put security above freedom.
Indeed, no one denies that there are inherent risks for insisting on Bashar’s immediate ouster, but finding ways to manage these risks have been the challenge all along. This is what we need to focus our energies on at this stage, we cannot back-peddle, we cannot second-guess the protesters, they have come a long way, and they have proven far braver and wiser than most of us thought. It’s time we learned to listen to our people, rather than preach at them. It’s time we learned to serve them, rather than expect them to serve us and our ambitions.
FEATURED VIDEOS
A Damascene mother grieves over her dead 13 year-old, killed by Assad’s thugs
Homs / Bab Amr: protesters defy and throw rocks at a speeding as they shout “Damn your souls Hafiz (Al-Assad)” and in the second video “the people want to topple the regime”
Protesters come under fire
Security firing at protesters, and the aftermath
A tank shooting randomly at residential dwellings
The scene just before the army went in with tanks: protesters shouting “the people want to topple the regime”
Idlib / Dreikoush: tanks fill the streets of this border town
Aleppo: the face of a thug – they are not exactly monsters, those pro-Assad gangs, but they just do monstrous things. This is one of them, talking to an activist about his electric baton, given to him by security agents.
Aleppo: security thugs attack worshippers with electric batons as they stream out of a local mosque to prevent them from demonstrating.
Hama City: “We have a dream”
Deraa: this video was just uploaded. It shows the aftermath of an old massacre that took place in Deraa City with army officers counting the dead bodies of protesters that were later taken to an unknown destination.
Damascus / Mazzeh Sheikh Saad: security beat protesters
Protesters chanting “the people want to topple the regime. This traditional neighborhood is actually quite close to the presidential palace.
MORE VIDOES
Hama City: More than 400,000 people gather at the Assi (Orontes) Square, chanting “the people want to topple the regime” and “Death is better than humiliation.” The writing on the purple banner says “Long live Syria, Down with Bashar Al-Assad”
“Hey Yallah, we only kneel before Allah”
Hama City: Speaker says: “Leave before we forbid you to do so”
Hama / Teebat Al-Imam: thousands of protesters shout “the people want to topple the regime”
Hama / Hilfaya: thousands chant “death is better than humiliation” “the people want to topple the regime”
Hama / Misyaf
Hama / Al-Salamiyyeh: thousands take to the streets in this mixed city of Sunnis, Alawites and Ismailites demanding outer of Assad and end to the regime “Zenga Zenga, Dar Dar you will leave, O Bashar” “Bashar, you infiltrator, damn you and damn the Baath Party”
Damascus / Midan: “Syria is free, let Bashar get out”
“The people want to topple the regime”
“Hey Yallah, we only kneel before Allah”
Damascus / Darayyah: security forces attack and open fire on protesters
Damascus / Qaboun: thousands chant: “Hey Yalla, we only kneel before Allah” “Leave, leave”
Damascus / Al-Qadam: thousands chant: “Get out, get out Bashar”
A funeral: “Hey Yallah, we only kneel before Allah”
Burning a poster of Bashar Al-Assad
Damascus / Qatana: “Hey Yallah, we only kneel before Allah” “Leave us Bashar”
Damascus / Douma: “the people want to topple the regime”
Damascus / Mouaddamiyyah: thousands chant “Long live Syria, Down with Bashar Al-Assad”
Damascus / Saqba: thousands chant “Damn your soul Hafiz”
Protesters make a human Syrian flag
Damascus / Ruknaddine: hundreds chant “leave, leave”
Damascus / Zabadani: thousands chant “Syria wants freedom”
Damascus / Madaya: thousands chant “Dying on your soil is beautiful, o my homeland”
Damascus / Jobar: thousands chant “We’re going to Heaven in the millions”
Damascus / Eastern Ghouta: thousands chant “leave us Bashar”
Homs / Al-Khaldiyyeh: protesters show Assad the red card (of expulsion in soccer)
Security attack protesters
Homs /Al-Ghouta: same as above + burning a poster of Assad.
Protesters carry a banner that says: “Russian and China, if you support our killers, the Syrian people will not forget”
Security attack protesters
Thugs come out at night to assert control over this restive neighborhood
Homs / Bayadah Neighborhood: thousands chant “Damn your soul Hafiz”
Homs / Al-Qousour Neighborhood
Homs / Souq Al-Hasheesh: thousands chant “Death is better than humiliation” “the people want to topple the regime”
Homs / Jib Al-Jandali: thousands chant against the regime
Homs / Talbisseh: protesters hurl shoes at an effigy of Bashar Al-Assad
Protesters burn posters of Ahmadinjed and Hassan Nasralla
Homs / Qseir: “Leave us Bashar”
Homs / Deir Baalbah: thousands gather and chant “Damn your soul, Abou Hafiz (i.e. Bashar)” and “Leave, leave”
“Leave Bashar, there is no dialog”
Homs / Rastan: thousands take to the streets in this beleaguered town that have suffered several army incursions and massacres, demanding Assad’s departure.
Idlib / Kafar Nabbol: thousands chant “the people want to topple the regime” and carry banners saying “Bashar is a vampire”
Idlib / Sarmeen: local residents gather and chant “Leave, leave Bashar” despite ongoing military operations in their vicinity
Idlib / Maarat Al-Nouman: tens of thousands demonstrate chanting “the people want to topple the regime”
Idlib / Jarjnaz & Tilmans: hundreds gather to express their rejection of Bashar and his regime.
Idlib City: thousands chant “the people want to topple the regime” and “Leave, leave”
Idlib / Banash: thousands gather despite ongoing military operations in the vicinity
Idlib / Khan Shayhoon: thousands gather in a festive ambience despite the military operations in their vicinity
Idlib / Saraqib: thousands chant “leave, leave, Bashar
Idlib / Taftanaz: thousands chant “the people want to topple the regime”
Deir Ezzor City: 60,000 protesters to take to the streets
“The people want to topple the regime”
Deir Ezzor / Alboukamal: thousands take to the streets shouting “death is better than humiliation” and “the people want to topple the regime”
“Long Live Syria, Down with Assad”
Deir Ezzor / Qouriyyeh: thousands chant “the people want to topple the regime”
Raqqah / Tabaqah: “Freedom, Freedom”
Al-Qamishly: Thousands of young Kurdish, Assyrian, Arab and Armenian protesters call for toppling the regime and the departure of Bashar.
Al-Hassakeh / Ras Al-Ain: thousands of Kurdish and Arab protesters chant “the people want to topple the regime”
Aleppo / Kobani / Ain Al-Arab: hundreds of Kurdish and Arab protesters chant: “the people want to topple the regime” and “Syria is free, Bashar should get out”
Aleppo / Atareb: thousands chant “the Syrian people are one”
Deraa / Basr Al-Harir: thousands of residents chant “Syrian wants freedom”
Deraa / Nawa: army units prevent worshippers from entering mosque to pray.
Deraa / Khirbet Ghazali: local residents chant “Damn your soul, Abou Hafiz”
Deraa / Da’el: thousands take to the streets to express support of protest communities
Deraa / Al-Jizah: thousands gather to protest the ongoing arrest campaign conducted by Assad security forces
Deraa / Al-Hraak: protesters come under fire
Baniyas: residents hold a small protesters despite massive security presence in their midst
Jableh: protesters come under fire
Lattakia: thousands gather in a festive spirit, despite heavy security presence all over the city
“Leave, leave”
Thanks again for all the work you do to set these videos and activities in context. Hope you have time for family life (and meeting with the CIA of course).
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