Syrian protesters call for Assad’s toppling

Labelling it the Day of Rage thousands of Syrian protestors gathered calling for the toppling of President Bashar al-Assad. As they rallied they vowed support for the city of Daraa after tanks and troops engaged in attempts   to crush resistance to Assad’s authoritarian rule. According to sources 500 people have been killed since the nationwide protests broke out in Daraa last month.

Reports to Reuters confirmed that in Daraa, Syrian soldiers fired shots in the air to prevent people attending Friday prayers or protesting. Other sources assert that snipers were on rooftops of buildings firing at anything that moved in an effort to ban people from going to the streets and roads to the capital Damascus have been closed.

The continued protests come in response to calls by the exiled Syrian Muslim Brotherhood offshoot following the vicious and violent attacks against the people of Syria and in particular Daraa.

A statement issued by the group called on the people to remain resilient accusing the regime of carrying out genocide in the country.

The MB offshoot stressed that the regime was hoping to contain the Syrians call for reform through genocide hence it was necessary that the Syrians united unafraid and to continue to aspire and call for liberty and dignity.

The statement added all people were born free urging the people to remain strong and persistent in their demand of the most basic needs and rights. The right to simply exist

Related, the UN Human Rights Council met in Geneva to discuss the situation the UK’s permanent representative Peter Gooderham addressed the meeting stating that the violent repression was completely unacceptable and must stop immediately.

He continued that there was no justification for the severity of the attempts to silence demonstrators or the restriction on access by lawyers, journalists and human rights officials.

In a statement he stressed it was necessary justice be served for the victims of the attacks; through fair and independent investigations he added there can be no impunity for those who have committed human rights violations and all in power should be held accountable.

The meeting called on nations to back a drafted resolution telling the Assad regime that the world is not standing idly by.