Syrian Forces Fire on Funeral Procession
Syrian government forces opened fire on a crowd in Damascus marching to mourn three protesters killed in the area a day earlier, in what appeared to be the largest demonstrations yet near the heart of Syria’s capital.
The violence in Damascus, a relatively safe haven from the civil conflict roiling much of the rest of Syria, came as activists said protests were growing again despite a military siege on several cities.
One person was killed in the Damascus march on Saturday, according to activists. The funeral procession penetrated the residential area of Mezze, a district housing several government offices and perched under the hilltop presidential palace.
The spillover of violence, which in other Syrian cities has consistently catalyzed larger protests, risks rattling President Bashar al-Assad’s large support base in the capital. Damascus and Aleppo, the city often called Syria’s industrial capital, are home to the business elite still supportive of Mr. Assad, as well as some minorities who fear an alternative to his secular regime.
A resident of Mezze reached by telephone said Friday’s large protests, in which three were killed after marching out of a mosque, were “shocking for the neighbourhood.” More than 10,000 people joined the funeral procession on Saturday, the resident—like most activists—estimated.
“I heard chanting and gunshots, and looked out my window. For the first time, what I saw matched what I’ve watched on TV for months,” the resident said. Syria’s government has characterized the uprising—in which protesters initially sought reforms from one of the region’s most autocratic regimes—as an armed insurgency backed by foreign powers.
The competing narratives have played out for 11 months. State media have aired confessions by armed gangs claiming to attack civilians and state forces, while activists used the Internet to broadcast footage of snipers shooting at protesters and tanks shelling residences in the city of Homs. Political concessions, including a referendum on a new constitution set for next week, have been ridiculed by Syria’s opposition amid the escalating violence.