EGYPT: Syrians storm the Syrian embassy in Cairo, smashing furniture and equipment and setting fire to parts of the building in protest over the latest bloodshed in the country

Record ID: 276323

  • Title: EGYPT: Syrians storm the Syrian embassy in Cairo, smashing furniture and equipment and setting fire to parts of the building in protest over the latest bloodshed in the country
  • Date: 5th February 2012
  • Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (FEBRUARY 4, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF THE SYRIAN EMBASSY IN CAIRO IN DOWNTOWN SMASHED PLASTIC OBJECT THROWN IN THE MAIN ENTRANCE OF THE EMBASSY VARIOUS OF SMASHED AND BROKEN COMPUTER DEVICES AND PRINTERS POSTER OF THE SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD THROWN ON THE FLOOR WITH A FOOTPRINT STAMPED OVER VARIOUS OF SMASHED WINDOWS AND GLASS DOORS VARIOUS O
  • Embargoed: 20th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt, Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Conflict
  • Reuters ID: LVA8KAU8A6IGOPCXGY10VGPJRZH7
  • Story Text: A crowd of Syrians stormed the Syrian embassy in Cairo on Saturday (February 4).
    They smashed furniture and equipment and set fire to parts of the building in protest over the latest bloodshed in the country, an embassy official and a witness said.
    Rallies also broke out outside Syrian embassies in Britain, Germany and the United States after human rights activists reported more than 200 people were killed in shelling by government forces in the city of Homs.
    In Cairo, embassy official Ammar Mohamed said he had been told by security officials about the overnight attack and arrived at the site to assess the damage.
    Mohamed said the demonstrators had burned part of the building, destroyed office equipment and stole embassy documents.
    "As you can see it is unjustified action with all means," he said.
    The gate of the embassy in central Cairo was broken and furniture and computers were smashed on the second floor of the building, a Reuters witness said, viewing the site after the attack. Parts of the first floor were burned, he said.
    A Syrian protester living in Cairo Samar al-Badawi said the protesters were attacked by "armed thugs", who broke their arms.
    "The young men [Syrian protesters] attended to the embassy to protest the situation there in Syria, they passed by the embassy; they attacked it; they smashed it, but some armed thugs belong to the Syrian embassy attacked the protesters by batons and knives, they broke arms of the protesters, the Egyptian police arrested the young men and then brought them to the police station here," he said.
    The scene was calm by early morning and Egyptian police were guarding the embassy.
    It was the second such attack on the mission. The embassy was broken into last week in another demonstration against President Bashar al-Assad who has turned his army against demonstrators seeking an end to his rule.
    At the United Nations, the Security Council was due to meet later in the day to vote on a European-Arab draft resolution endorsing an Arab League plan calling for Assad to resign.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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