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Syrian activists report violence at youth’s funeral

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REPORTING FROM BEIRUT -- Syrian activists said Saturday at least one person was killed in Damascus when security forces opened fire on mourners at the funeral of a teenage boy killed the previous day.

Amateur video purporting to show the funeral that was posted online shows several blocks full of people marching down a street in the capital, with some carrying a banner assailing Syrian President Bashar Assad. The video’s authenticity could not be confirmed. (See footage below.)

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The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a group that seeks Assad’s ouster, also said Saturday that one of its activists, Ziad Obeidi, was killed in the eastern city of Deir el Zour. No details were provided on how he died.

There was no comment from the Syrian government.

Restrictions on journalists in Syria have made it difficult to confirm information provided by anti-government activists and Syrian officials.

Since mid-March, protesters have been taking to the streets in opposition to Assad’s autocratic government. But Damascus has generally been spared the large-scale protests that have taken place in some other Syrian cities, including Homs and Hama.

Earlier this week, tens of thousands of people marched on the capital’s streets in a show of support for Assad. On Saturday, protesters also gathered in Athens to denounce the Syrian leader.

On Saturday, the government’s official Syrian Arab News Agency reported Assad named a committee charged with formulating a new draft of the constitution for the Middle Eastern nation. Assad has promised reforms and a revamped constitution.

Violence in Syria since mid-March has left more than 3,000 people dead, including almost 200 children, according to the United Nations. Protesters are demanding that Assad step down. The government says more than 1,000 security officers have been killed.

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The government blames armed ‘terrorists’ for the violence. Anti-regime demonstrators say security forces have attacked peaceful protesters.

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-- Patrick J. McDonnell

Video: Amateur footage purporting to show mourners marching in the Syrian capital Damascus on Saturday. Credit: YouTube

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