SYRIA: Amateur video said to show government agents crushing protest
Fresh amateur video footage posted to the Internet claims to show pro-government agents in civilian clothes breaking up a peaceful sit-in in the Syrian capital on Monday, hauling demonstrators into a van.
The dramatic clip, claimed to have been filmed in Damascus' Arnoos Square, shows crowds of men and women sitting in a street, chanting and clapping their hands. Activists say 250 people turned out for the sit-in during which rally-goers chanted, "The Syrian people are not divided by sectarian issues," "Stop the gunfire" and "Stop the siege on our cities."
At one point, the crowd gets up and starts marching down a street as curious passersby look on, prompting what are said to be plainclothes security officers to show up at the scene and take action.
One man wearing a shirt and dark pants is seen ordering a couple of women on the sidelines of the protest to "go away, quickly," and barking at others standing outside shops lining the street to go back to work.
After his warning, tumult breaks out in the crowd. Flickering images show people running from the scene as shouts are heard in the background. Some people appear to be running into stores, but they are followed by others who appear to be security guards or officers, some descending on what appears to be a shoe store.
The camera then closes in on the shop next door, from which two people are seen being dragged away and hauled into a nearby white van. One of them is shown being beaten inside the vehicle.
Activists say several students, a physician and a writer were detained at the demonstration.
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-- Alexandra Sandels in Beirut
Video credit: YouTube
"government agents crushing protest" - Waco style.. But we are the good guys, right?
Posted by: me again | May 11, 2011 at 07:56 PM
the media are exaggerate , all syrian people need freedom and to improve the government then many terrorists take that onset requests to change the regime with valiance and to destroy the secular system .....
Posted by: Maher | May 11, 2011 at 07:57 AM
Funny how the US criticizes Syria and Iran when they oppress their people, but stays quiet when Bahrain does the same.
What a world of double-standards we live in!
Posted by: tony | May 10, 2011 at 11:33 PM
I hope the Syrians are able to fight for their freedom. The Syrian jails are full, eventually al-Assad is going to have to start shooting dissidents like his father did in the 1980's. The elder Assad ranks up there as one of the all time mass murderers - for the slaughter of 40,000 people in Hama in 1982.
Posted by: Henry Hernandez | May 10, 2011 at 11:27 PM
I do not understand how you can live under this kind of oppression! I do not understand how the Syrian regime criticizing other countries such USA or Israel, and they do worst . If you Talk the talk, walk the walk!
Posted by: Kevin | May 10, 2011 at 10:21 PM
Syria is going to have a civil blood bath soon. Many places are, look at how government people think they have control over people. Really governments only have control of people who can not sacrifice themselves for a greater good. When people are forced to make that sacrifice, the controllers lose, more often then they have won, throughout history!
Posted by: Glen | May 10, 2011 at 10:17 PM