Syria Live Coverage: Defiance in Damascus
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 12:20 | Ali Yenidunya in EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran Saturday's funeral in Mezzeh in Damascus, before it was attacked by security forces (see bottom of entry)
See also Sunday's Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Violence Escalates
Saturday's Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Story Gets Out
1615 GMT: Activists claim Syrian security forces, to prevent a "day of defiance" around a funeral in Mezzeh in Damascus (see 0545 GMT), occupied the neighbourhood.
At least one person was slain and four wounded on Saturday at a funeral in Mezzah for an earlier victim of the violence.
Mohammed Shami, a spokesperson for activists in Damascus Province, said most shops were shut in Mezzeh as well as in the Barzeh, Qaboun, Kafarsouseh, and Jobar districts. Student demonstrations had been expected but security forces were stationed around schools.
Activist Abu Huzaifa said police forced the family of Samer al-Khatib, 34, who died after being shot in neck on Saturday, to bury him in a small ceremony early in the day. Footage of the procession:
State television showed live interviews from Mezzeh with people who claimed life was proceeding normally.