Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Syrians tear down statue of Bashar al-Assad's father after rebel advance


Footage shows protesters beating gold statue of Hafez al-Assad with shoes in city of Raqqa near Turkish border

guardian.co.uk,
Syrian rebels on Monday made a significant military gain when they seized the northern city of Raqqa, tearing down a giant poster of the president, Bashar al-Assad, and toppling a statue of his late father.
The rebels' advances in Raqqa came amid reports that unidentified gunmen on Monday shot dead at least 40 Syrian soldiers, together with several Iraqis, in Iraq's western Anbar province.
Dramatic video footage shows cheering protesters ripping down the gold statue of Hafez al-Assad in Raqqa's main square. In scenes reminiscent of the fall of previous Arab dictators, the protesters beat the statue's head with their shoes, shouting: "God is great." One man clobbers it with an axe.
The euphoria, however, is brief. A second video taken by activists soon afterwards captures a government mortar landing in the square, followed by thick black smoke. Several dead and injured lie on the ground. Rebels frantically load the wounded, including a woman, into cars as a second mortar drops nearby....."

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