- Title: SYRIA: Arrests during protests denied by spokesman from the Ministry of Interior
- Date: 17th March 2011
- Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (MARCH 16, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF A POLICEMAN AT THE DOOR OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR IN DAMASCUS A SIGN OF MINISTRY OF INTERIOR (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) BRIGADIER GENERAL MOHAMED HASSAN AL-ALI, DIRECTOR OF MORAL GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT IN THE SYRIAN MINISTRY OF INTERIOR WITH JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BRIGADIER GENERAL MOHAMED HASSAN AL-ALI,
- Embargoed: 1st April 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAE0G94KGO47ETTX26EXU4Y130D
- Story Text: A protest in the Syrian capital, Damascus, did not result in any arrests on Wednesday (March 16) according to a spokesman from the Ministry of Interior.
"For us here in the Ministry of Interior none of the police had any dealings with the people. On the contrary, we had clear orders from the Minister this morning to open our doors, to kindly receive these people," said Brigadier-General Mohamed Hassan al-Ali.
Scores of people had assembled at Marjah square close to the ministry with several women there to hand in applications to visit their relatives in prison. Al Ali said some people used that moment to shout down president Bashar al-Assad's government, ''They tried to shout some slogans. But the citizens of Marjah, which is in the middle of Damascus and which is crowded during the day and the evening, and so it's normal that they started to chant, then shopkeepers came and spontaneously they started to chant in support of the president,'' he said.
The ministry official also added the demonstration was dispersed peacefully and that the requests from the prisoners' families will be examined. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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