Protesters rally in central Damascus: video

AFP, Beirut, 16 Feb 2012 – At least 100 Syrians rallied in central Damascus on Thursday, chanting slogans against President Bashar al-Assad in defiance of a deadly crackdown on dissent, a video posted on YouTube showed.
‘Syria is in revolt, whether you like it or not Bashar’ and ‘We want revenge against Bashar and Maher,’ they yelled, referring to the president’s brother who heads the feared Fourth Armoured Division.
The demonstration was held in a backstreet near the Iranian embassy in the central neighbourhood of Mazze, according to the person filming the rally. An Iranian flag could be seen fluttering atop the building.
It took place after the funeral of a man killed by security forces gunfire during a demonstration in the capital, according to opposition activists who distributed the video.
Damascus has been relatively spared the violence of the 11-month protest movement that triggered a brutal crackdown in which more than 6,000 people have been killed across Syria, according to rights groups.
Activists are calling on Syrians to protest on Friday for a ‘new phase of popular resistance’ to confront the regime’s assault on besieged cities such as Hama and Daraa.
Since they erupted in mid-March last year, the protests have been largest on Fridays, following the main weekly Muslim prayers.