Security Forces Kill 20 in Mass Syria Protests

By Emma Koonse, Christian Post Reporter Saturday, July 16, 2011

Twenty Syrian protestors were gunned down Friday, as thousands of activists flooded the streets of Syria in the biggest and most hostile demonstration yet against president Bashar al-Assad. Authorities opened fire into crowds across the country trying to maintain order.

Syrians were urged to take to the streets Friday in protest of a violent crackdown on democracy protests which has imprisoned hundreds.

The Syrian Revolution 20100 Facebook page has been a driving force behind the appeal for “freedom for the hostages,” and the demonstrations are the greatest challenge to the rule of the Baath party in over 40 years.

Friday, the day Syrians gather for their main weekly Muslim prayers, has been adopted as their main day to express opposition. In lieu of Friday’s protests, organizers planned Saturday to be the “Conference of National Salvation”, where Syrians in Damascus and Istanbul will look for ways to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.

Syrian rights groups say that over 1,400 civilian protestors have already been killed by authorities, but demonstrations numbers only continue to rise.

Assad is said to have a deployed irregular militia called shabbiha on top of the army and police forces, in an attempt to curb the displays of opposition. Assad has been warned against repeating the massacres that occurred during his father’s presidency, which lead to the killing of 30,000 people by militia in 1982 in Hama.

Ambassadors from the United States and France visited Hama to demonstrate their support for Friday’s protests, and three days later their embassies were attacked by Assad supporters. No one was killed during the attacks, and the United Nations Security Council has condemned the acts.