Thousands protest in Syria, urging president to resign
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Xinhua, June 17, 2011
Thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets in Syrian cities of Damascus, Hama, daraa, al-Boukamal and Idlib, demanding the resignation of their President Bashar al-Assad, witnesses said.
The protesters carried Syrian flags and banners reading " freedom" and "go out Bashar al-Assad" during demonstrations dubbed as "Friday of Saleh al-Ali" who was one of the Syrian revolution leaders against French occupation during the 1920s.
The state TV reported that "limited gatherings" were seen in al- Meedan, al-Qadam and some suburbs of the capital Damascus.
Syria is witnessing unprecedented protests starting from mid- March across the country, since when some 1,300 Syrians have been killed, and 10,000 others were arrested or have gone missing, according to Syrian human rights groups.
Al-Assad who took his office in 2000 succeeding his late father Hafez, responded to the unrest by a pack of reforms and by resorting to the army to quell the mounting protests against his rule.
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