Syria

Syrian forces divide restive city of Homs with concrete wall

 
Curfews, shelling, snipers…. More than a year into a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests in Syria, residents of the Baba Amr neighbourhood in the city of Homs thought they had seen it all. Recently, however, Syrian security forces have cobbled together a new method aimed at isolating the city’s most restive neighbourhood: a concrete wall. Read more…
 
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How Syrians snipers operate: an Observer explains

 
Since the unrest began in Syria in March 2011, our Observers in the country’s most rebellious towns have reported the constant presence of snipers. These snipers, who are on the government’s side, never stop firing, not even during the so-called ceasefire. One of our Observers explains how these snipers position themselves, and what civilians and rebel fighters do to avoid getting shot. Read more...
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Syrian activists fight Assad regime with spray paint and stencils

 
Following examples set in other Arab Spring countries like Tunisia and Egypt, Syrian activists have taken to arming themselves with cans of spray paint and stencils to peacefully protest against embattled President Bashar al-Assad’s regime via a very public and artistic medium – graffiti. Read more…

Live blog: Syria

 
Syria's fragile UN-brokered ceasefire will be put to the test as it enters a second day on Friday after opponents to President Bashar al-Assad's regime called for mass demonstrations, labelling the day “A revolution for all Syrians”. Follow our live blog...
 
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Syria ceasefire halts shelling, but not sniper fire

 
A fragile UN-brokered ceasefire in Syria entered a second day on Friday with the country poised for mass anti-government protests in the afternoon. Our Observers on the ground say heavy shelling in flashpoint cities such as Homs has halted, but that snipers have yet to lay down their weapons. Read more…
 
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A Syrian Observer in exile: "What is shown in the media is completely different from the reality"

 
Khaled (not his real name) is one of FRANCE 24’s Syrian Observers. With the help of Observers like him, we have been able to follow what has been happening in Syria over the past year. In late February, Khaled had to flee his hometown of Homs, a hotspot of protest that the Syrian army has relentlessly bombed for the past six weeks. Read more...
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Syrians recall the most memorable moments since the start of the uprising

 
It’s been an incredibly eventful twelve months in Syria. To mark this unhappy anniversary, we asked three of our Syrian Observers to think back over this tumultuous year and share their most vivid memories. Read more…
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First anniversary of the Syrian uprising: a year of protest in amateur videos

 
March 15 this year will mark the first anniversary of Syria’s popular uprising against President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime. Since the beginning of the crisis, journalists have been barred from covering events inside the country, forcing international media to rely on activists on the ground for information and images. One year on, the Observers takes a look back at some of the most striking images of the uprising. Watch videos...

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