Mass Syrian protest against Assad regime adds to death toll

Hundreds of thousands demonstrate as security forces kill at least 11 people with president rumoured to call elections

Nour Ali in Damascus and Ian Black, Middle East editor

The Guardian, July 22, 2011

Syrian anti-regime protesters carry a picture of President Assad that reads, “Leave. We don’t trust you. You will leave and we will stay because Syria is ours. Enough of injustice and killing,” during a rally in Damascus. Photograph: AP

 

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians turned out for anti-regime demonstrations across the country on Friday with at least 11 people reported killed by security forces and tensions mounting in the runup to the Ramadan holiday.

Casualty figures – collated by two Syrian human rights groups – were down on previous weeks but the numbers of demonstrators appeared to be some of the largest yet seen in the four-month uprising.

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