Syrian forces fire, killing 11

Syrian forces fire on protesters killing 11, say activists

A Turkish woman prays for Syrian people

during a demonstration against Syrian

President Bashar al-Assad after the

Friday prayers on Fridayin Istanbul.

          Human rights activists said, Syrian security forces opened fire on Friday on anti-regime rallies killing at least eleven protesters, three of them in the capital Damascus.

The violence came as thousands of protesters took to the streets across Syria after the weekly Muslim prayers calling for the fall of the autocratic regime of the president Bashar al-Assad.

          ‘Security forces tried to break up a rally calling for the fall of the regime with tear gas before opening fire’ killing three people and injuring 25 others,

       They also opened fire on demonstrators in the town of Kiswah south of Damascus, killing at least five people, another activist said.

Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, also reported ‘one death’ in the central city of Homs.

         

          Syrian rights groups say that more than 1,300 people have been killed and while 10,000 have been arrested in the regime’s brutal crackdown against dissent since the protests — now in their fourth month — erupted.

            The Facebook page said Friday’s protests should send a strong message to Assad that he and his regime are no longer legitimate and must go.

Greek protesters surround parliament

Greek riot police officers confront with protestors

in front of the Greek parliament during a general strike agains

 government austerity plans, in Athens Wednesday.

Greek protesters surround parliament 

          Thousands of Greek protesters surrounded the parliament building on Wednesday as a general strike paralysed the country and the prime minister held emergency talks on a controversial reform package.

       Riot police and barricades blocked approaches to parliament as demonstrators mustered in the capital, summoned by a popular protest group that has occupied central Syntagma Square for weeks after a similar mobilisation in Spain.

         Police said 20,000 people had responded to the call but media estimates raised the turnout to 40,000.

             Scuffles broke out at various barricade points and police made sporadic use of tear gas to push protesters away.
 
             Prime Minister George Papandreou began an emergency meeting with the Greek head of state, President Carolos Papoulias, after a government deputy defected on Tuesday, reducing the government's majority to five seats.

            "A national effort is demanded, we face critical decisions," Papandreou said ahead of the meeting in televised statements.

        "We will take the necessary decisions to take the country out of the crisis...(but) everyone must accept their responsibilities," the PM said.