Damascus (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Young Syrians have launched a call for a popular uprising across the country on Facebook, after recent clashes in Deraa, Damascus and major cities that killed 25 people. " Today Saturday ... popular uprisings in all Syrian governorates," says the message. The announcement by President Assad on the introduction of democratic reforms, the possible cancellation of the state of emergency, anti-corruption measures, freeing of dissidents and increased salaries for civil servants, does not seem to have placated the popular protest against the authoritarian regime in power for almost 50 years.
Yesterday, thousands of people gathered in the Deraa, scene of the most massive anti-government protests, where at the end of Friday prayers they chanted slogans for freedom and revenge for the martyrs, burned a statue of former President Hafez al -Assad. In Sammina, close to Deraa police fired on a group of protesters who tried to join the protests, killing nearly 20 people. According to doctors over 40 people were killed in the past week. The violent repression of demonstrations has also triggered riots in Damascus, where over 200 people tried to reach the center of the city, but were soon stopped and arrested by the authorities. Protests also erupted in Homs, in the west.
To prevent further riots and boost popular support for the regime, state television continued to broadcast propaganda films. While in Damascus, thousands of people marched through the streets, shouting their support for President Bashar al-Assad.