Syria protesters 'die as troops open fire'

Source: BBC

Syrian security forces have open fired on anti-government protesters in cities across the country, leaving at least 14 people dead, activists say.

At least seven people died in the capital, Damascus, where about 20,000 took part in protests, reports say.

The demonstrations appear to be among the largest since the anti-government uprising began in March.

The Syrian League for the Defence of Human Rights estimated about 20,000 people were protesting in Damascus. Rami Abdel Rahman, of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said about 350,000 people had taken to the streets in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour.


This image taken by a resident is said to show protests in Hama

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14168199

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From Aljazeera:

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/07/201171513414896895.html

As many as 19 protesters have been killed across Syria after security forces reportedly shot at protesters, hundreds of thousands of whom took to the streets in the biggest protests so far against Bashar al-Assad's rule.

Police fired live ammunition and teargas in the capital Damascus, killing five people, and in southern Syria near the Jordanian border, where four people were killed, the Reuters news agency said quoting witnessess and activists. In the city of Hama, scene of a 1982 massacre by the military, live video footage by residents showed a huge crowd in the main Orontos Square shouting "the people want the overthrow of the regime".

At least 350,000 people demonstrated in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), an independent rights group based in London, said. "These are the biggest demonstrations so far. It is a clear challenge to the authorities, especially when we see all these numbers coming out from Damascus for the first time," Rami Abdelrahman, head of the SOHR, said.

The protesters have been calling for reforms and an end to the longstanding political status quo. But although rights groups say about 1,400 civilians have been killed since March, the protests have continued unabated and swelled in size.

and will protect him in the Security Council.

I've been impressed that the Syrian people have kept up and enlarged their protests despite the military crackdown. It looks like they'll have to pull this off on their own.

If the Syrian revolution does succeed (still a big IF) despite of all the civilian deaths, Russia and China might find that they are not particularly popular with the Syrian people. On the other hand, if Bashar comes out on top, he will be thankful that Russia and China protected him from the UN.

... has told the 'West' to butt out.