Syrian Opposition Plans Protests Against Dictator Assad For Saturday

Mary Slosson | January 31, 2011

Executive Producer

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (Photo Creative Commons)

Opposition groups in Syria have begun organizing a popular protest against incumbent President Bashar al-Assad to take place Saturday, following in the wake of mass uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, and elsewhere across the Arab world.

The protests are being organized on social media site Facebook, and have called for mobilization in the capital Damascus as well as Aleppo and elsewhere throughout the country.

The Facebook groups are in Arabic, but CNN reportsthat:

Protest organizers want better living standards, human rights improvements and a greater voice for youth, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute, a Washington-based organization that studies and translates news accounts and social-media postings.

Al Arabiya reports that one group, called "The Syria Revolution 2011:"

Described al-Assad’s rule as dictatorship and showed torture YouTube videos of political dissident in the country.

The group also called for civil disobedience, and encouraged “all of the brave Syrian youth, from all factions and social classes and from all provinces” to “not be silent about oppression.”

Pro-Assad groups have already formed in response, with thousands having replied "attending" on each side.

President Bashar al-Assad has been in power since 2000, after he inherited rule from his father.