SYRIA: Thousands of anti-Assad protesters take to the streets in the southern city of Deraa

Record ID: 278859

  • Title: SYRIA: Thousands of anti-Assad protesters take to the streets in the southern city of Deraa
  • Date: 17th April 2011
  • Summary: DERAA, SYRIA (APRIL 14, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE MARCHING PEOPLE CHANTING FOR VICTIMS OF PROTESTS WOMEN CHANTING MORE OF WOMEN CHANTING SHEIKH ADDRESSING CROWD SHEIKH TELLING CROWD: PROTEST AND PROTECT YOUR COUNTRY DERAA, SYRIA (APRIL 15, 2011) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS DURING PROTEST PROTESTERS CHANTING PEOPLE WANT TO TOPPLE REGIME PROTESTERS CHANTING ALLA
  • Embargoed: 2nd May 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA4Y9RZQBQLXT3JAQXKTJDGHWOR
  • Story Text: Protests broke out in towns and cities across Syria on Friday (April 15), as people took to the streets in their thousands to demand greater freedoms.
    An estimated 10,000 protesters took part in demonstrations after Friday prayers in the southern Syrian city of Deraa.
    Demonstrations came out from every mosque in the city, including the Omari mosque, according to an activist at the centre of the protests.
    The activist said there had been no army presence in Deraa since Thursday night, following a meeting between President Bashar al-Assad and local leaders.
    He said people were chanting: "Freedom, freedom, peaceful, peaceful".
    Popular unrest against the 11-year rule of the President, whose Baath Party has run Syria with an iron hand for almost 50 years, erupted in the city a month ago when protesters first demonstrated against the detention of teenagers who had scrawled graffiti inspired by the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.
    The large turnout came despite a fierce security crackdown and vague promises of reform by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
    On Thursday (April 14) Assad unveiled a new government, which has little power in the one-party ruled country, and ordered the release of detainees, a move one human rights lawyer said represented a "drop in the ocean" compared to the thousands of political prisoners still held.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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