In the early days of the Syrian uprising, the epicenter of the unrest was the city of Deraa. Security forces very brutally suppressed revolt in that city, raising allegations of a widespread massacre. So far, Syrian officials have refused to let a Human Rights Council mandated investigative team enter the country to look into these allegations.
Today, it would appear that Syrian security forces once again unleashed fury at demonstrators in Deraa, who gathered after Friday prayers. From al Jazeera:
Security forces have fired at demonstrators in the southern city of Deraa as tens of thousands again took to streets across Syria after Friday prayers to demand the downfall of President Bashar al-Assad, witnesses and activists said.
“They are firing at demonstrators in alleyways and people are running for cover. Protesters have been trying to avoid heavy security in main streets,” a resident of Deraa told the Reuters news agency.
Security forces also used tear gas to try to disperse demonstrators in Deraa, witnesses said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Details are still emerging on this latest round of violence. It is a sad reminder that the violent suppression of dissent is still very much a daily reality for millions of Syrians.
This recently uploaded video, apparently from Deraa, shows how that violence and intimidation is carried out. This what it looks like when Security Forces raid your home.
I wonder what happened to this family?