(Thousands of) Syrian mourners call for revolt (Calls for "freedom" as police fire tear gas)

[Turborama]

Source: Al Jazeera English

Thousands attending funeral for slain pro-democracy protesters call for "freedom" as police fire tear gas.
Last Modified: March 19 2011 13:03

Police in Syria have sealed the southern city of Daraa and fired tear gas at crowds of people gathered to mourn the deaths of two men killed by security forces, according to witnesses.

Thousands of mourners gathered in the centre of the city on Saturday, marching behind the coffins of Wissam Ayyash and Mahmoud al-Jawabra, who were killed when security forces opened fire on protesters a day earlier.

Mazen Darwish, a prominent Syrian rights activist, said police had sealed the city with people being allowed out but unable to enter.

He cited residents who did not want their names published for fear of reprisals.

Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2011/03/201131911234678272.html

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Related OP from earlier: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4777117">Syrian plainclothes police forcefully disperse protest in Damascus / Protests across Syria

[PurityOfEssence]

1. We don't like them, but they have no oil

Therefore, they're on their own.

[VermeerLives]

4. Bingo! (n/t)

[VermeerLives]

2. Syria is killing its own people to suppress dissent

Shouldn't France and Britain be pushing NATO, the US and the UN to intervene with force? Oh, but Syria has that little problem of having no oil to export. Never mind.

[DeSwiss]

3. The old man, Hafez al-Assad didn't bat an eye.....

...when it came to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hama_massacre">slaughtering people in order to hang onto power.



http://www.google.com/images?q=Hama+massacre&oe">More Hama Massacre pictures

- But Syria has been "useful" to the west whenever they needed to play-off one group upon another.