Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Protesting, Filming, Dying

Citizen Journalist Basil Al-Sayed, killed in Syria on Wednesday

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1934 GMT: Two Syrian opposition parties have signed an agreement in Cairo, promising to unite against Assad. The interesting part of the agreement - the two parties, the Syrian National Co-ordination Committee and the Syrian National Council, are committed to resist international intervention. But as Al Jazeera points out, many in the opposition are in favor of intervention:

1920 GMT: We named this liveblog to recognize those who risk their lives and everything that have to speak freely, to protest, and to record the actions of their government when that government does not recognize those rights.

This video, then, is even more significant. Yesterday, we reported that a cameraman in Idlib, Syria, recorded himself getting shot. Well, he spent a lot of time putting together a fully edited video that shows the developments of the day, from start to finish.

The video is significant. It shows a clear narrative. Massive protests were seen by Arab League observers, the observers left, the shooting started... and in the last clip, he takes a bullet while filming.

Apparently, he is ok (according to his friend), but his story is the epitome of what citizen journalists are willing to do in order to show the world the truth about places like Syria:

1914 GMT: Meanwhile, Syrian activist Rami al-Jarrah, who is living in refuge in Egypt, has launched a livestream of a protest outside the Syrian embassy in Cairo:

At least 13 people were reportedly killed by security forces, according to LCCS, including "7 martyrs in Homs and one in each of Banyas, Daraa, Idlib, Bokamal ,Hama and Kafar Soseh in Damascus."

1906 GMT: Sad news from Bahrain - according to activists, Sayed Hashim (who is either 15 or 16 years old) has died (see our last entry below). This heartbreaking picture sums up the magnitude of the loss. According to Maryam Alkhawaja, it shows:

Friends: Ali AlShaikh (15 yrs) killed on Aug31,2011 "Eid day" Sayed Hashem (15 yrs) killed on Dec31,2011

1508 GMT: The 16-year old boy who was critically injured earlier today after being hit by possibly two separate tear gas cannisters, allegedly fired by security forces, is named Sayed Hashim. This video shows the moments just after he was struck as Bahraini citizens come to his aid.

1445 GMT: Bahrain. Further reports are coming in from across of protesters being attacked by security forces with tear gas and other "non-lethal" devices.

An EA correspondent reports that the situation in Sitra is particularly bad, with "clouds of tear gas mixed with black smoke of burning tires".

A 16-year old boy, allegedly shot in the neck by police in Sitra with a tear gas cannister as this graphic photo shows, is now in a critical condition. Zaynab alKhawaja reports on twitter that a man who attempted to carry to injured boy to safety "was attacked by riot police who beat him severely and shot tear gas at him".

There are several other as yet unconfirmed reports of injuries and arrests across the country.

1340 GMT: Claimed footage of gunfire on a funeral procession in Deir Bielba in Homs in Syria today:

1320 GMT: An EA correspondent has reporteds from Bahrain over the past 45 minutes:

Police moving on foot in group in my village and started shooting at people who are sitting outside their home....The coalition send a message on social media asking people to go to the main roads Now clashes in Sitra With lots of tear gas."

1200 GMT: The February 14 Coalition in Bahrain has called for a new kind of civil disobedience in which family and friends try to stay outdoors despite the presence of security forces. Pictures from the gatherings, labelled "#TheDecisiveMoment", on Twitter --- a picture from A'ali:

And the family of the first person killed in the 14 February protests, Ali Mushaima:

1150 GMT: A funeral procession in Idlib in Syria for three men killed by security forces:

1040 GMT: US officials say that the leader of Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, and other senior officials have pledged to halt the raids against foreign non-profit organisations, to allow them to reopen their offices and to return documents, computers, and other property seized on Thursday.

The sources said Tantawi offered the assurances during a 25-minute telephone conversation on Friday with US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta.

The Thursday raids shut 10 organisations, including the US groups International Republican Institute, National Democratic Institute, and Freedom House and the German Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

0820 GMT: A powerful testament the size of the rallies in Yemen's capital Sana'a on Friday, calling for the prosecution of President Saleh:

0720 GMT: An interesting video from Alma'ameer in Bahrain on Friday --- are police planting something next to a box of gas cylinders used by a restaurant or are they removing explosives planted by villagers?:

A march in Barbar last night, in tribute to the martyrs of the protests:

0620 GMT: We begin this morning with the stories within the numbers: at least 32 dead in Syria on Friday as hundreds of thousands defied the regime in their protests; thousands in Bahrain in an opposition rally and other gatherings across the island, re-occupying a symbolic roundabout that had been cleared by police and their tear gas only a week earlier.

In Syria, 24-year-old Basil Al-Sayed died on Wednesday, once again filming so those outside the besieged neighbourhood of Bab Amro in Homs would know of the violence of the security forces. Yesterday, one cameraman filmed himself getting shot in Idlib, and another caught his injury on film in Douma --- the flash of gunfire, a sound grenade, or even a nail bomb accompanies the impact on his leg as he doubles over in pain.

In Bahrain, an EA correspondent was caught in the tear-gassing of a march near Budaiya highway, where protesters re-took the same roundabout where, in a symbolic incident, police had arrested activist Zainab Alkhawaja eight days earlier while they swept through the area with more tear gas and batons. He finally escaped, narrowly avoiding the explosion of a cylinder at his feet, but the violence escalated, including this vivid clash in Nuwaidrat.