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At Least 3 Dead in Anti-Government Protests Across Syria

   VOA News  April 08, 2011
   An image grab taken from footage broadcast by the Syrian state
   television allegedly shows scenes of clashes in the flashpoint town of
   Daraa on April 8, 2011

Photo: AFP

   An image grab taken from footage broadcast by the Syrian state
   television allegedly shows scenes of clashes in the flashpoint town of
   Daraa on April 8, 2011

   At least three people were killed as fresh protests erupted Friday in
   Syria, where opposition against President Bashar al-Assad and his
   ruling Baath Party has been escalating for weeks.
   Foreign media access in the country has been restricted. But the
   Associated Press reported that Syrian security forces fired tear gas
   and bullets at thousands of demonstrators in the southern city of
   Daraa, a flashpoint for recent violence.
   The Reuters news agency reported protests in Kurdish regions of eastern
   Syria, one day after Assad offered Syrian citizenship to some Kurds.
   Demonstrators are demanding freedom for thousands of political
   prisoners, many of whom are Kurds.
   Kurds have complained of discrimination from the government, and the
   lack of citizenship has sometimes hindered ethnic minorities from
   getting jobs.
   The granting of citizenship to Kurds on Thursday came after Syria made
   an overture to conservative Muslims by shutting down the country's only
   casino and overturning a decision that banned teachers from wearing the
   Islamic veil.
   President Assad has put forth a series of planned reforms recently,
   including changing leadership positions and studying the lifting of the
   country's emergency law banning gatherings.
   But the offers have failed to stop opposition demands.
   Anti-government activists have called on crowds to commemorate the more
   than 70 people reported killed in recent protests against Syria's
   rulers. The government has blamed the deaths and the unrest on "armed
   groups."

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

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