20 killed as Syrian forces fire on innocent protesters - Syrian Uprise in Progress !

Syrian security forces have opened fire on anti-government protesters in the city of Sanamin near Daraa which killed at least 20 people.


"There are more than 20 martyrs .... brutal security forces opened fire haphazardly," he further said.


Syrian forces had apparently fired after protesters set fire to a statue of the late president, Hafez al-Assad. 


Footage on YouTube also showed protesters in the cental square of Daraa dismantling a portrait of his son, Bashar al-Assad, the current president.


Reuters reported that heavy gunfire could be heard in the southern city of Daraa, the focal point for demonstrations against Bashar al-Assad's regime in recent days.



Three people were also reported killed in Mouadamieh district of Damascus after a crowd confronted a procession of cars driven by supporters of president Bashar al-Assad, residents said, according to Reuters.


Regime supporters take to streets


But regime supporters also took to the streets in sizeable numbers on Friday, waving flags and images of al-Assad. A large crowd gathered in the evening outside Al Jazeera's bureau in Damascus, demanding to be shown on the network.


"Thousands and thousands are now out in the streets of the capital, driving around the capital, showing their support for President Aasad. There is no doubt the president does have support in this country. Bashar al-Assad is a popular leader," said Al Jazeera's correspondent Zeina Khodr.


But Anas al-Abda, the chairman of the Movement for Justice and Development in Syria, told Al Jazeera News Agency that pro-government demonstrations were "most probably fabricated and organised by the regime".


Earlier, Reem Haddad, from the Syrian information ministry, told Al Jazeera that security forces had been given the order not to shoot at protesters "no matter what happens".


"But things took on a different hue because inside these peaceful demonstrations there was another group of people who were armed ... and were shooting at the security forces and were shooting at other citizens in Daraa. At the end of the day this became a matter of national security."


But an eyewitness told Al Jazeera that "there were no people carrying arms among demonstrators".


"What happened in the square ... was live ammunition, I was present myself and I saw the youth and other young demonstrators leading a peaceful demonstration. 


"They were chanting slogans calling for freedom and transparency and an end [to] corruption."


source Al Jazeera + Reuters