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Syrian Forces Kill 7 Protesters

   VOA News  April 18, 2011

   Rights activists in Syria say at least seven people were killed by
   security forces overnight in the central town of Homs. Several others
   were injured.
   The violence comes less than a day after gunmen, also suspected to be
   members of the country's security forces, killed three people and
   wounded dozens moreduring a funeral for an anti-government protester,
   also in Homs.
   Thousands of people rallied across the country Sunday, demanding
   greater freedom. Sunday was Independence Day in Syria.
   Activists used social networking sites to urge that Syrians demonstrate
   against the government, despite a promise by President Bashar al-Assad
   that decades-old emergency laws will be lifted within a week.
   Assad made the announcement Saturday during a speech broadcast
   nationwide. Syrian demonstrators have been demanding an end to the
   emergency laws, which give security forces sweeping powers to carry out
   arrests and detentions.
   Human rights groups say more than 200 people have been killed during
   the government's crackdown on protests.
   Syria has been ruled by the Assad family since 1970, when the current
   president's father, Hafez al-Assad, became head of state. He died in
   2000.
   The emergency law effectively limits most constitutional protections
   for individual citizens in Syria by banning demonstrations, controlling
   the media and allowing eavesdropping. It has been in effect for nearly
   50 years.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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References

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