Toll mounts despite monitors' presence
Gulf News Report
Published: 00:00 December 31, 2011
Dubai: Syrian forces fired nail bombs to disperse protesters on Friday as tens of thousands poured on to the streets to make their voices heard by Arab monitors touring the hotspots.
The protesters, emboldened by the presence of monitors, called for the ouster and prosecution of President Bashar Al Assad and urged the monitors, who last week started a mission to oversee an Arab League plan to end the bloodshed, to do more to protect civilians from forces of the regime which they said killed 32 civilians on Friday. The death toll has climbed to more than 75 in the last 24 hours.
"We urge you to make a clear distinction between the assassin and the victim," activists of the Syrian Revolution 2011 said on their Facebook page.
"Our revolution which was launched nine months ago is peaceful," they said.
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Huge demonstrations rocked northwestern Idlib province and Douma, a Damascus suburb where protesters clashed with security forces who fired "nail bombs" to disperse them, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
"More than 250,000 people protested across Idlib province in 74 locations after Friday prayers," said a Britain-based group.
Security forces also fired "stun grenades and tear gas" in Douma as 60,000-70,000 demonstrators headed to the city hall, which the Arab observers visited on Thursday.
Hundreds of protesters also hit the streets in north Lebanon to support the Syrian revolt against Al Assad, organising blood drives and marching towards the volatile border.
Rebel defence
The rebel Free Syrian Army, meanwhile, said it has stopped its offensive against government targets during a month-long mission by the monitors, saying it wants to expose how the regime is killing peaceful protesters.
The leader of the FSA, breakaway air force Colonel Riad Al Asaad, said his troops have halted the attacks since the observers arrived on Tuesday.
"We stopped to show respect to Arab brothers, to prove that there are no armed gangs in Syria, and for the monitors to be able to go wherever they want," Al Asaad was quoted as saying from Turkey. "We only defend ourselves now. This is our right and the right of every human being," he said.
Rival rallies held across Sana'a
Thousands of Yemenis held rival rallies across Sana'a yesterday despite President Ali Abdullah Saleh's agreement to quit and a military panel continuing to lift barricades from the streets.
Protesters gathered at Sittin Avenue in Sana'a's northern district calling for the trial of Saleh and all those involved in the killing of 13 people last week.
A smaller number of protesters gathered for Friday prayers at Sabiin Avenue in the southern district. Elsewhere, thousands of Bahrainis marched in Manama to demand the resignation of the government. Activists accuse the government of continuing its crackdown on Shiite-led protests.