Tunisian Police Clash with Anti-"Friends of Syria" Protesters

Tunisian FM Rafik Abdessalem (L), Qatari PM Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani (2L), Omani FM Yousuf bin Alawi (R), Morocco FM Saad Eddine Othmani (2R) meet ahead of a conference of the so-called Friends of Syria group, in Tunis, Tunisia, 23 Feb. E

Police in Tunisian capital Tunis repelled with force dozens of protesters who tried to storm the hotel in which the international "Friends of Syria" conference is taking place Friday.

Representatives of the international community are meeting with Syrian opposition leaders to express support for the Syrian National Council and ask President Bashar Al-Assad to step down, following a year of bloodshed in the country.

The protesters, both Tunisians and people of Syrian origin shouted slogans such as: "No to the congress of Foes of Syria and enemies of the Arab nation!", and "This is a congress of American and Zionist interests!"

"We refuse to make Tunisia into a center of conspiracy against Arabs," said one of the protesters.

Ralliers argued that the US was behind efforts to destabilize Syria and the region, and called on President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to desist in their policy.

Popular protests in Tunisia in December 2010 led to the January 2011 ousting of long-serving president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, a turn of events that ignited the so-called Arab Spring.

Unrest in Syria began in March 2011, with initial calls for democratization of the Assad regime; events however have turned bloody, with the opposition seeing reform efforts by Assad as inadequate, and both sides resorting to heavy violence.

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