Syrian Revolution Digest, April 10, 2011
Death toll and anger rise as the daily routine of protests and crackdowns continues.
Protests calling for regime fall followed by security crackdown, gunfire and funerals are now almost a daily routine in many Syrian cities and suburbs, with the exception of central Damascus and Aleppo.
The coastal city of Banyas hosted today’s main event. Protesters report coming under heavy gunfire after coming out of Al-Rahman Mosque following Dawn prayers. Witnesses say that security forces, army troops and the Shabbiha (gangs whose membership derive from the larger Assad clan and who are said to run large smuggling rings all over the coast) were working together. Soon after the first barrages which left three confirmed dead and a number of injured, some dissent with the ranks of the attackers seem to have taken place, but there is a conflict in eyewitness reports as to the exact nature of this development.
Some say that security forces and the Shabbiha shot a number of army troops for refusing to open fire on protesters, and there does indeed seem to be an agreement on the occurrence of 5 such incidents. But others say that the Shabbiha gangs and the security officers turned against each other, and they explain that by saying that some of the security officers are related rival Alawite clans.
If these latter reports, coupled with other reports of mysterious disappearance of army officers from certain army units, are true, then what we have unfolding here is a situation similar to the one that existed in the early 1980s when problems within the regime inter-meshed with the ongoing uprising, and contributed to the escalation of violence. The difference here, of course, is the nonviolent character of the protests.
This will continue to be a story of rocks and chants against batons and bullets for the foreseeable future. Areas that saw major protests today: Deraa City, Banyas, Lattakia, Homs (Hawleh), Qadsiyyeh, Mouaddamiyyeh.
From Social Networking Websites
Damascus and Suburbs
Video of night protests in Al-Moadamyeh on Saturday April 9
Video shows complete cooperation/coordination between security forces and Shabiha (violent gangs) in Douma
Video of an eye-witness testimony among the wounded in Douma that was omitted from the Syrian Television coverage that was not aired
Video of security forces and members of protest suppression team walking side-by-side in Douma
Video of the funeral procession of Majed al-Kels from Douma to the burial site
Video shows parts of protests in al-Tal on Friday April 8
Video of al-Yaman Hospital in Douma on April 1st
Deraa
Video of a sit-in protest of tens of thousands from the people of Inkhel chanting freedom for all Syrian cities on Saturday April 9
Video shows fire shots targeting protestors in Deraa al-Balad by formal military-dressed shooters
Video of taking down Bashar Assad’s portrait from the Popular Army Office
Video shows parts of the protests by the people of Deraa with audible non-stop fire shots like the falling of rain
Video from the National Hospital showing hundred of wounded filling up all rooms and hallways
Video of Houran people’s chants of Death over humiliating life
Video: speech to the masses protesting in Deraa and a call to refrain from all destructive acts
Video shows tens of thousands mourning Yasir al-A’semi in Da’il: video2, video3
Video: full coverage of Wadi al-Zaydi on Friday April 8th, shows security forces dragging bodies of fallen heroes; video2, video3, video4
Video of banners containing pictures and names of fallen heroes in the city of Harak
Video: after all what the people endured they still chant “peaceful and nonviolent” on April 9
Video of olive branches waved in the face of repressive security forces
Video of sides from freedom protests in Deraa on Saturday April 9, video2
Video of candle light vigil in Deraa
Video of an eye-witness wounded man from al-Omari Mosque narratingwhat happened on March 25
Video call from a mother of a detained man recorded on April 4
Video of funeral procession
Video of new clips of attacks in Houran; video2, video3, video4, video5
Video of parts of Deraa’s protests on Sunday April 10 showing a military car burning
Video of Sanamain today
Homs
Video of revolution’s youth in Homs facing live ammunition firing with their bare chests
Video: partial coverage of funeral processions on April 9; video2, video3, video4
Video of funeral procession of a member of the Kharsan family to the al-Katib cemetery in Homs on Saturday April 9
Video of a protest in Bab al-Seba’ after the funeral procession of a fallen hero; video2
Video of heavy fire shots and fire trucks used to disperse protestors
Hama
Video (new) of protests for freedom on Friday of Withstanding shows an attempt by security forces to disperse protestors; v2, v3, v4, v5
Video of people of al-Salamiya chanting for freedom, video2
Lattakia
Video shows dispersion of peaceful protestors by security forces and armed bands
Baniyas
Video: scenes of wounded protestors from Baniyas, video2
Video (live) from Baniyas on Sunday April 10 with audible heavy ammunition firing
Video: bullet signs by security forces on the dawn of today at one of the mosques in Baniyas
Deir Azzour
Video shows arrests of protesting youth
Other parts of the world
Video: attempts by a few to disrupt a protest in Michigan, USA supporting Syrian revolution
Video of a solidarity protest in New Zealand in support of the Syrian revolution, Sat April 9
Video of parts of a solidarity protest with Syria in Cairo on Sunday April 10
Video of a solidarity protest with the Syrian revolution in Frankfurt, Germany on Saturday April 9; video2, video3
Video of solidarity protests with the Syrian revolution in Toronto, Canada
Selected Television Coverage
BBC Program: Open Agenda (ajenda maftuha) discussing the Kurdish issue in Syria and recent events
BBC Report on the fallen heroes and wounded in Baniyas shot by security forces
BBC Report on Pro-government and opposition protests at the Syrian Embassy in London
BBC Video timeline of development of events in Syria
BBC Call-in by legal activist Walid Safour naming one of the “infiltrators”
Orient TV Call-in by activist lawyer Haitham al-Maleh on Saturday April 9
France 24 Call-in by activist lawyer Haitham al-Maleh and his commentary on events in Syria
France 24 Report on Syrian developments on Sunday April 10
France 24 Interview of legal activist Haitham Manaa listing the names of fallen heroes
Al-Arabia Report on incidents on Friday of Withstanding and Saturday, with noticed bias in selection of witnesses
Al-Arabia Video summarizing international press coverage on Syria
Aljazeera Video: report and call-in regarding the events in Syria on Sunday April 10
Aljazeera Report on political prisoners in Syria
Aljazeera Report on the Syrian revolution
Aljazeera Report on the deployment of military tanks in Baniyas
Aljazeera Report on gun fire shots at one of the mosques
Orient News Report on the Syrian revolution
Al-Horra Freedom Hour program (sa’a hurra), part2, part3, part4
CNN commentary by political activist Ausama Monajed
This digest is produced in cooperation with Kafa Samtan and the Strategic Research and Cooperation Centre.
