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Monday, December 12, 2011

37 killed as Syrians protest "dignity strike" to topple Assad regime, millions rally.

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   Syrian protestors hold "dignity strike" to topple Assad regime, millions of Yemenis rally on the Friday of "revolutionary alignment," Sudan's first cabinet after south's secession brings little change, and more.

On Friday, security forces killed 27 anti-government protesters around Syria, most of them in Damascus, among suggestions that opposition to President Bashar al-Assad is consolidates in the capital, reports said.
Thousands demonstrated in Damascus, marking the major protests in the capital, activists said. A witness said that at least 14 people were killed in one district as Special Forces wielding machine guns opened fire on the crowd.
Opposition activists, refusing talks sponsored by the government prior in the week, planned their own meeting for Saturday and said that they would select a shadow government to lead a transitional period.
US officials said that they have definite evidence that the attack on the US embassy in Damascus on Monday, in which the building was violated by a raging gang, was co-ordinated by key Syrian security units.
The French embassy was also attacked at the same time, some days after Ford and the French ambassador visited Hama to meet demonstrators, angering Syria, which asserted the visit proved that the US was tried to provoke a coup against the government.



Latest from the Mosaic Blog 

#Intifada1, 24 years later By Mary O'Reilly DECEMBER 9, 2011, 12:00 PM Today marks the 24th anniversary of the outbreak of the First Palestinian Intifada, which was ignited on December 8, 1987 when four Palestinians were killed by IDF forces at the Erez crossing in Gaza. To commemorate the anniversary, a group of Palestinian youth sent out the following call:  We are also calling out to all the Palestinian bloggers in Palestine and in exile to dedicate their blogs on the 9th of December to honor the people of the First Intifada through writing stories from the Intifada or conducting interviews with the heroes, publishing videos or photos etc.

 We also call on Palestinian artists for a dedication in honor of the Intifada. Ziad Hmaidan, activist, former political prisoner, legal researcher at the Al Haq human rights organization, and analyst for the Alternative Information Center said in an interview that the First Intifada was a unique example of a truly popular struggle "involving…people from every social and cultural strata and of every political background…as equal actors.

" According to Sonja Karkar of the Electronic Intifada, "There was no doubt that this national movement gave every Palestinian a sense of empowerment, even though there were very few gains on the ground…The question that should weigh heavily on our consciences is — how many intifadas must be fought before justice for the Palestinians finally prevails?" In an article titled, "Toward a true paradigm shift in Palestine," Ramzy Baroud examines how Palestinians today must continue their resistance that began over two decades ago. He states, "In the case of Palestine, a new beginning requires the total mobilization of all aspects of Palestinian society...The allegiance must not lie with any particular faction, but to Palestine itself, and the only unifying slogan should be 'Freedom.'" The hashtag #Intifada1 has been created on Twitter to commemorate the anniversary as Palestinian bloggers and online activists unite under the same nationwide campaign of popular resistance.

 One blogger and activist tweeted, "24 Years after #intifada1, people still die for a free #Palestine, I salute The Martyrs of Occupation 2011" Click here to see the First Intifada in pictures, here to see graffiti in Ramallah marking the anniversary, and here to see revolutionary posters from the Intifada. Image credit: REUTERS/Jim Hollander. An Israeli soldier takes aim as a Palestinian woman hurls a rock at him from close range during a demonstration in the First Intifada. February 29,1988.