Syria Video Special: A Protest Movement Renewed

A massive anti-Assad protest in Douma, an important Damascus suburb, during the funeral of Yusef Al-Toukhi.

Just two weeks ago, I was beginning to think that the protests were losing steam. Every passing day, since the fall of Tripoli, we see larger and larger protests in Syria. Protests in some locations were becoming smaller. In other places, the activists who were protesting seemed almost defeated. Reports from contacts in the country hinted that the spirit of the protesters was very low. At least 473 people had been killed by the Assad military since the beginning of Ramadan, according to rights groups. The bloody month had proven that the protests were not going away, the genie of Arab Spring would never be returned to the bottle in Syria, but it had also proven that the violence had taken its toll.

Some activists in Syria had even begun to question whether a peaceful revolution would be successful

All of that has changed in the last two weeks. Three forces have rejuvenated the protest movement, making it stronger than it has ever been. The first, international pressure, not only from Europe and the US but also from Syria's neighbors. The second factor, the fall of Tripoli. With each domino that falls in Arab Spring, we see massive ripples that incite more revolt in other countries. This was no exception. The third factor, cracks have begun to show inside the Syria regime.

See Also, Syria, Libya (and Beyond) Liveblog: Cracks in the Regime

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What we are seeing is protests in locations where there were not protests before, which has in turn caused the Syrian military to kill in those locations, intensifying protests in those locations. While Aleppo and central Damascus still seem elusive targets for widespread protests, the areas around these cities are seeing larger and more widespread protest. Eventually, these protests may very well push into the centers of the last two holdouts of dissent.

Below we're collecting just a sample of videos of the day. We'll add to the list as the day goes on:

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8. Protests in A'zaz, Aleppo (MAP). Earlier we noted daytime protests in Tall Rifat, halfway between A'zaz and downtown Aleppo, and there are also protests there this evening.

7. A puzzling yet impressive video. This clip claims to have been taken by soldiers during the siege of Daraa, and has apparently been set to (what we would assume is) victorious music, by the soldiers themselves. Smoke can be seen rising from the city, and smiling soldiers take up sniper positions on the rooftop.

The video is not dated. There is no way for us to verify this clip:

6. Large protests tonight in Al Bustan, Homs, near the center of Old City:

5. GRAPHIC VIDEO - several are injured by gunfire from security forces in the Inshaat district of Homs:

4. Kffersita, Hama:

3. Large protests at a funeral for a martyr killed by Syrian security, Marea, Aleppo:

2. Homs:

1. Idlib: