28 Civilians Killed in Syria's 'Friday of Departure' Protests

Half a million protested against the Syrian regime in Hama on Friday. Image derived from YouTube via EPA. YouTube dates the images 1 July 2011 and claims they show footage from Hama.

At least 28 civilians have been killed in clashes between anti-regime protesters and security forces in Syria.

Several major cities saw large-scale protest rallies on Friday, with the largest demonstration against the rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since the start of the protests on March 15 taking place in Hama.

Some 500 000 are reported to have rallied again the regime in Hama during the so called "Friday of Departure" demanding the resignation of Bashar al-Assad.

The Syrian security forces opened gunfire against the demonstrators in several cities.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Saturday sacked governor of central Hama province Ahmed Khaled Abdul-Aziz, Syria's official SANA news agency reported without giving further details, who has become the fourth governor to have been dismissed by the president since the start of the protests, after the governors of Latakia, Homs and the southern province of Daraa.

According to the Syrian Organization for Protection of Human Rights, 28 civilians perished in Friday's demonstrations, with 16 killed in Idleb, 8 in Homs, 2 in Damascus, 1 in Latakia, and 1 in Aleppo.

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