Smaller than expected protests were held in Syria on Friday that were nevertheless met with deadly force that left between 7 and 10 dead. An alleged 5000 come out in the southern city of Deraa and some 2000 in the Duma suburb of Damascus.
Al-Sharq al-Awsat says that for the first time there were also demonstrations by Kurds in Kamishli, demanding equality with Arabs. Syria (pop. 22 million) has some 2 million Kurds, who often see themselves as oppressed by the regime’s emphasis on Arab nationalism. Tens of thousands of Kurds had their citizenship taken away in the 1960s.
CNN says that altogether thousands demonstrated in Daraa, Latakia, Homs, Baniyas and Kamishli
Despite the crackdown, the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood rejected outside intervention in Syria. Brotherhood leader Mohamed Tayfur supported, however, the UN-authorized intervention in Libya: “Gadhafi was killing his own people. There was no other option … ” The Muslim Brotherhood is to anti-imperialism what Ben & Jerry’s are to ice cream, and even they are supporting NATO!
Aljazeera English reports:
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