Monday, December 12, 2011

The Dignity Strikes!

Syria today witnessed different kinds of strikes, and strike-backs. Still the underlying story is the same throughout: the protesters want to achieve their freedom, by any means necessary.

Sunday 11, 2011

Today’s death toll: 26, including a woman and 4 children. Calls for a general strike were heeded in protest communities all over the country, and in several neighborhoods in central Aleppo and central Damascus. Students of the University of Damascus largely observed the strike as well. In Deraa City, areas in Rural Hama, and certain Damascene neighborhoods, locals report that authorities burnt and/or ransacked stores of strike observers.

In Damascus, major clashes between loyalists and insurgents took place in the suburbs of Zabadani, Madaya and Sirghaya. In Deraa/Hauran, clashes took place near and in the town of Basr Al-Harir, 3 tanks were destroyed. In Homs City, major clashes were reported in the neighborhood of Deir Baalbah. 

Religious leaders of the Christian communities in Syria announced the cancellation of all outward signs of celebrations related to Christmas and the New Year’s. This is the first time in decades that such an announcement is made.

Links

Security forces at the Syrian Embassy in Amman assault visitors to the Embassy simply for wearing T-shirts bearing the flag of the revolution http://youtu.be/feSrTvjeqtg The video shown here clearly contradicts the account of the incident given by Embassy officials, who accused the protesters of attacking them first.

The battle for Deir Baalbah Neighborhood in Homs City http://youtu.be/0O4F0JgMigQ , http://youtu.be/0NxHRZ2H6hc , http://youtu.be/0a36CNI2WcY , http://youtu.be/Vew5Rtm5PiE Snipers in action http://youtu.be/yPmTaYLWwiI But at night, the protesters take back to the streets http://youtu.be/prV_vTp6qsE and are addressed by Suheir Atassy via Skype from outside Syria, having been forced to leave the country clandestinely a few weeks ago http://youtu.be/n3vBs9jq45M In her speech, Suheir thanks members of the Khalid Bin Al-Waleed Brigade for protecting the protesters. 

In the nearby neighborhood of Bab Al-Sibaa, the Mreijeh Mosque was pounded http://youtu.be/aUIKKCAamIA In Bayadah Neighborhood, the Tozeghly Mosque also came under fire http://youtu.be/uNbiaTX5N48

This leaked video shows the atrocities being perpetrated by Assad loyalists on a daily basis in Homs City http://youtu.be/SrjwCk7jv_Y Another leaked video shows troops carrying out sweep operations in the region of Jabal Al-Zawiyeh in the Idlib Province http://youtu.be/apM7Ebb7rGA

In Damascus, the town of Zabadani is stormed http://youtu.be/BGGbJ9rFrmQ Locals in Zabadani, as well as in nearby towns of Madaya and Sirghaya, say that they have repelled the attack on their towns. But for a while, tanks rolled into the community http://youtu.be/o2WoBGzNa-I From Madaya, an officer from the FSA announces in mid-battle that his troops have managed to stop an attempt at invading the town http://youtu.be/lW-gcQmKq0I Locals observed the strike and burnt old tires as sign of protest http://youtu.be/NZQgYpG72io , http://youtu.be/3_OnrHyHuAg And they still took to the streets at night in Zabadani http://youtu.be/_kGpBhu2AP8

In the Damascene suburb of Douma, people take to the streets at night to stop security officers from snatching the body of a female martyr from a local hospital http://youtu.be/l5rYvGuGW88 Soon after, the neighborhood comes under fire http://youtu.be/CSyX8-aCSz8 , http://youtu.be/BIJGfuJaBDQ Earlier in the day, in nearby Harasta, security officers spent their day painting over the word freedom written on walls all over the suburb http://youtu.be/ITA2WFu2x1g In Saqba, security forces stormed in http://youtu.be/A6NUTdzUwKM , http://youtu.be/lV8S-tdxV_k and opened fire http://youtu.be/TIi5eh2JIWg

This video purports to show the leader of the FSA’s Ababeel Brigade giving a “hard lesson” to a leader of a pro-Assad group in Aleppo http://youtu.be/UHo0ocLKpy4

More officers defect and join the Sulaiman Fighting Group http://youtu.be/F5hG9V2KQUY , http://youtu.be/gMkywwwX7vk The SFG, known to operate in the rural areas of Hama and Idlib, is one of many armed groups that are not yet affiliated with the Free Syrian Army.

Scenes from the nighttime pounding of the town of Kafar Takhareem in the Idlib Province http://youtu.be/5PMzHgyWTHs , http://youtu.be/KhJtiWNmkwA , http://youtu.be/3p6aVRxX_m0

Kurdish soldiers announce their defection from the regular army http://youtu.be/t2RepvoJyG8 The announcement was made in Kurdish in order to stress the demand for respecting Kurdish rights, while asserting commitment to Syria’s unity.

In Deraa City – Mahata District, loyalist troops force open shops that obeyed calls for general strike http://youtu.be/kDaeyS6zsNQ Soon after, there were clashes between loyalists and insurgents http://youtu.be/Sfg2WHT8Jzo A number of casualties were reported, including this child http://youtu.be/qNz1bAvzFlo Officers from the Martyrs of Freedom Brigade declare their responsibility for the attack on the local security headquarters http://youtu.be/z64TdIelFwI They say the attack was in response to the kidnapping of three female activists. They claim to have killed all officers present on the premises and to have freed the jailed activists.

In nearby Basr Al-Harir, people take to the streets at night despite the presence of loyalist troops and their tanks http://youtu.be/7rNc3-_NA2Y Earlier in the day, the city was pounded and tanks stormed their way into town http://youtu.be/JYB_M3Rq3AY In nearby Tafas, tanks rolled into town http://youtu.be/Ys6CAaiq1U0

All protest communities and many suburbs in Damascus and Aleppo cities observed the call for general strike: Daraya (Damascus) http://youtu.be/jfVDbklAWbs Hilfaya (Hama) http://youtu.be/Mzj4Ug3dXXg Binnish (Idlib) http://youtu.be/ot_X26Ur1KY Kafrinbel (Idlib) http://youtu.be/LLV2GaJxKjo Kafroumah (Idlib) http://youtu.be/iVHZyiJkU2U Taftanaz (Idlib) http://youtu.be/RFKd4gbZfH4 Sanamein (Deraa) http://youtu.be/yi0DPjpXL-A Khirbet Ghazaleh (Deraa) http://youtu.be/Sfj0p-MbCVE Hraak (Deraa) http://youtu.be/XtGyrdeu6uo Houleh (Homs) http://youtu.be/58zQF3bnhbM Talbisseh (Homs) http://youtu.be/O7oz5-LBlCU Tadmor (Homs) http://youtu.be/qKpLEC9ph9g Ashrafiyeh (Aleppo City) http://youtu.be/RXl9aR5sy-I Marei (Aleppo) http://youtu.be/-Nxufp2UNBE Zamalka (Damascus) http://youtu.be/tBYAjJ7oBuw Midan (Damascus) http://youtu.be/bEXrrRSKb0I Qamishly (Hassakeh) http://youtu.be/Mn4rP3udTLk Jableh (Lattakia) http://youtu.be/t6fdWDleIaw Alboukamal (Deir Ezzor) http://youtu.be/QPWXIo0D3Hc etc. There are virtually hundreds of such videos. Naturally, all of Homs City observed the strike.

But the day did not belong to protests and strikes only, people did take part in protest demonstrations as usual: Hilfaya (Hama) http://youtu.be/KjESKCPjBAA Taybat Al-Imam (Hama) http://youtu.be/gQTdUUy6sfc Soraan (Hama) http://youtu.be/5LsBqRCpeiw Zamalka (Damascus) http://youtu.be/hv2OUnLyiZw Arbeen (Damascus) http://youtu.be/cvTYxSiKytE Harasta (Damascus) http://youtu.be/Td0TB7MASVE Qarrah (Damascus) http://youtu.be/MdWL2RA2nKU Hamouriyeh (Damascus) http://youtu.be/kJJ2bejJJG0 Kafar Sousseh (Damascus) http://youtu.be/aCwm5sHooOY Hraak (Deraa) http://youtu.be/9Pw-gLjoyMw Deir Al-Bakht (Deraa) http://youtu.be/vW99qiHF7fk Sourah (DEraa) http://youtu.be/__daGu7hUvQ Courine (Idlib) http://youtu.be/A1ylxFpfYY8 Ghadfah (Idlib) http://youtu.be/OcGB3w7VLLA M’arr Shoureen http://youtu.be/oRCWtpIuVWg Kafraouaid (Idlib) http://youtu.be/P8ruPuIL-Ek Jabal Al-Zawiyeh (Idib) http://youtu.be/yqxNuGATtQc Ram Hamdan (Idlib) http://youtu.be/uJPElRsesx4 Kafar Yahmoul (Idlib) http://youtu.be/HDucsNeNRVo Ritaan (Aleppo) http://youtu.be/z5eQqsPTy7A Marei (Aleppo) http://youtu.be/Kbv2gUdK2AQ , http://youtu.be/uz-QjcPmln4 Tal Rif’aat http://youtu.be/ghd5yLbgbG0 Anadan (Aleppo) http://youtu.be/rIsBzJ3Pd7A Amoudeh (Hassakeh) http://youtu.be/BnwmqzwirIA Qseir (Homs) http://youtu.be/-AgGCiKeDiQ Houleh (Homs) http://youtu.be/dEgfDi54dHk Talbisseh (Homs) http://youtu.be/ejCM5TNvhM0 Hama City/Bab Qibli http://youtu.be/KZEULMvDPso Qrayyah (Deir Ezzor) http://youtu.be/mmgpCk9XOQ8 Kafar Aya (Homs) http://youtu.be/7pzGS-Fo75g

And of course, there were funerals: Dmeir (Damascus) http://youtu.be/NOkzVqoyRVQ Saqba (Damascus) http://youtu.be/6wBUgueBrzQ Heesh (Idlib) http://youtu.be/HEwZvIF3uPk


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