Syrian Revolution Digest, April 21, 2011
Tension & Hope in the Air!
With protesters set to throw the gauntlet back in Assad’s face again in the next few hours, tensions grow, and security officers and army troops take positions in suspected hotspots.
As Syrians keep waiting for Aleppo to fully commit to the protest movement, small demonstrations, the latest numbering around 500 participants and lasting for a couple of hours before being dispersed by security, continue to take place in the northern bastion on a daily basis as more and more people break the barrier of fear and try to encourage others to join. Meanwhile, Assad security forces continue to lay siege to known hotbeds around the country, including Talbisseh Town and Bayadah Neighborhood in Homs and the Mouaddamiyyeh, Darayyah, Zamalka, Jobar, Irbeen, Harasta, and Douma suburbs in Damascus. In Homs, security forces took over the newly dubbed Freedom Square in a preemptive move, and in Mouaddamiyyah, security forces briefly stormed into town in an attempt to intimidate the local residents who also report presence of snipers on rooftops of official buildings. Sandbags and security checkpoints can be seen at entrances and key locations in all of these places.
Kobani to the North witnessed a new protest celebrating national unity organized byte the majority-Kurdish population, in an act of double defiance aimed at the Assad regime as well traditional Kurdish parties still trying to toe a neutral line in the growing protest phenomenon.
To the Northeast, the city of Raqqa witnessed its biggest protest to date with a few hundred participants, while in the South, the different cities and towns making up the Deraa Province continued to hold anti-Assad rallies and removed more Assad posters from public places.
From Social Networking Websites
Horan
Video Demo of Al-Hara and a slogan ‘We’re going out until the cursed one is brought down’
Video 1, v2, v3, v4, v5 Reception of the released officer Sameer Abo-Zeid, arrested for refusing to shoot protesters in Kharbet Ghazala
Damascus Suburbs
Video Security forces and thugs breaking into Mouaddameya and terrorizing the citizens
Homs
Video Security forces terrorizing the people of Homs in Al-Barazeel street
Video The demo after Tuesday’s funeral
Aleppo
Video 1, v2 Demo in Bab Al-Hadeed to announce the participation of the youth of Aleppo in the Syrian Revolution
Souwaida
Video The response of the youth of Gabal Al-Arab to the Shabbiha of the regime
Hasaka
Video Demo of Humanities college in support of the Syrian people
Kobani
Al-Rakka
Video Demo this afternoon in consolidation with the martyrs of the Syrian Revolution
Cyprus
Video A speech by one of those demonstrating in front of the European Union building
Some of the TV Coverage
Video of a report about the situation in Syria
Report by Al-Arabiya about the dismissal of the head of political security in Banias
Report by Al-Jazeera about the statement by the league of Syrian scholars confirming the correctness of Al-Karadawi’s opintion about the Syrian revolution
Video Al-Jazeera’s report about preparations for Good Friday
Video Call-in of Sameer Nashar on Al-Jazeera mid-day program
Video Nazar Noyouf explaining the situation in Syria on Al-Hiwar channel
BBC Interview of Hosny Al-Imam on the reforms of the Syrian regime
Aljazeera report about the Syrian revolution
BBC report on the Syrian Revolution this noon
Video Interview of Obeida Nahas on BBC
Video Al-Hiwar channel: A recipe to save the Syrian regime
Video BBC report about the detention of Amjad Abbas, head of political security in Banias
Report France24: The ring is tightening around the neck of the Syrian regime
This digest is produced in cooperation with Kafa Samtan and the Strategic Research and Communication Centre.
Damascus Bureau is not responsible for the content of external links.
