Syrian Opposition Unites as More Protesters Get Killed

Civil unrest and protests against the Assad regime in Syria continue to be on the rise in parts of the country. Photo by RIA Novosti

Syrian opposition activists coordinating the protests against the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad have come together to issue a joint statement.

They demand that the monopoly of the ruling party Baath on power be terminated, and that a democratic system be established.

Syrian human rights activists said on Friday they will not be placated by the presidential decree ending an almost five-decade long state of emergency in the country and will continue to protest, regional media said as cited by RIA Novosti.

Thousands of Syrians rallied to protest against the Assad regime on Friday, in the south and northeast of the country, Al Arabiya News said.

In response to protests that have raged in the middle-eastern country since March 18, the Syrian government lifted on Tuesday an emergency law imposed by the Baath party shortly after coming to power in 1963.

The BBC reports that at least 5 protesters have been killed in Friday's rallies by Syrian security forces firing not just tear gas but also live bullets against the protesters.

An estimated 80 to 200 people have been killed in protests and clashes in Syria, inspired recent revolutions in nearby Tunisia and Egypt. A new government, formed in Syria last week, has pledged to carry out economic and political reforms.

Injuries have also been reported in the Damascus suburb of Douma and in the city of Homs, witnesses said in reports that could not be verified.

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