Syrian protesters gain resolve from Kadafi’s demise
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REPORTING FROM BEIRUT -- Inspired by the demise of Libya’s Moammar Kadafi, antigovernment protesters took to the streets of Syria and nearby countries on Friday to demand the ouster of President Bashar Assad.
‘People of Libya, we rejoice for your happiness,’ read one banner held aloft by protesters in the flashpoint city of Homs.
‘The news about Kadafi gave us a renewed resolve,’ said an activist reached by Skype in the city’s embattled Bab Amro neighborhood. ‘It gave us a big boost of morale.’ The activist asked to be identified only as Shadi because of fears of reprisals.
PHOTOS: Moammar Kadafi | 1942 - 2011
The Syrian protesters’ invoking of the Libyan experience was perhaps the most dramatic example of how the death of Kadafi has rippled across the region. Amateur video of the ousted Libyan leader’s last moments, along with photos of his dead body, were aired over and over on Arabic-language television stations.
The protests, which followed mid-day prayers, have become a weekly occurrence in Syria since major demonstrations began in March. Activists say brutal government repression has also become routine.
On Friday, Syrian security forces killed at least 24 people, including 19 in Homs, according to the Local Coordinating Committees, an anti-Assad coalition, which issued a statement extolling the Libyans’ struggle.
‘We, as participants in a similar battle for freedom, congratulate the Libyan people’s great victory,’ the group said. ‘There is no turning back from the demands for freedom.’
In Homs’ Baba Amro district, witnesses spoke of fire from machine guns, anti-aircraft weapons and various armored vehicles, including tanks. Amateur footage uploaded to YouTube was said to show smoke billowing from the neighborhood. (See below)
Still, protesters came out in many sites, activists said, including the suburbs of Damascus, the capital.
The official Syrian Arab News Agency denied the reports of civilians killed by government forces and said ‘armed terrorist groups’ had killed a soldier and two civilians in Homs and Hama.
The government says armed groups, operating under a ‘foreign agenda’ -- likely a coded reference to Washington and its regional allies -- are stoking the unrest. Along with peaceful protesters, some Assad opponents have taken up arms against the government. But the size of the armed opposition remains unclear.
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-- Patrick J. McDonnell and Rima Marrouch
Video: Amateur footage purporting to show smoke billowing from the Baba Amro neighborhood in Homs, Libya, on Friday. Credit: YouTube