Syrian Civil War 2011-2012 - Societa italiana di storia militare

13 March On 13 March, Kamal Hussein Cheikho, a Kurdish member of the Committee for the Defence of Democratic Liberties and
Human Rights in Syria (CDF), was released on bail of 500 Syrian pounds ($10). He is still facing charges for allegedly publishing
material harmful to the country. [46][47][48]
15 March – "Day of Rage"
First explicit demonstration against the Syrian regime Damascus, Syria, 15 March 2011 on YouTube
Simultaneous demonstrations took place in major cities across Syria. Thousands of protesters gathered in al-Hasakah, Daraa, Deir ez-
Zor, and Hama. There were some clashes with security, according to reports from dissident groups. In Damascus, a smaller group of
200 men grew spontaneously to about 1,500 men. Damascus has not seen such uprising since the 1980s. The official Facebook page
called "Syrian Revolution 2011" showed pictures of supportive demonstrations in Cairo, Nicosia, Helsinki, Istanbul and Berlin. There
were also unconfirmed news that Syrian revolution supporters of Libyan descent, stormed into the Syrian Embassy in
Paris. [49][50][51][52][53] Another recently released political figure, Suhair Atassi, became an unofficial spokesperson for the "Syrian
revolution", when she was interviewed by dozens of Arab and international media channels regarding the uprising. There were reports
of 6 arrested in Damascus. [54][55][56][57] Atassi paid tribute to "the Syrian people who took the initiative ahead of the opposition,"
recalling the popular uprisings that shook Tunisia and Egypt [48] After the first day of the uprising there were reports about
approximately 3000 arrests and a few "martyrs", but there are no official figures on the number of deaths. [58]
16 March Syrian authorities forcibly dispersed a crowd composed of 200 demonstrators in front of the Syrian Interior Ministry. al-
Arabiya reported that the protesters were a mix of activists and jurists, writers, journalists, young academics, and family members to
people detained in Syrian prisons. [59][60][61] Several security officers managed to infiltrate themselves in demonstrations at different
places and started shouting slogans declaring their love and loyalty to President Bashar al-Assad. [62] < The security forces arrested a
number of protesters, Al Jazeera reported 25, [63] while Al Arabiya said 32 [64] including activist and lawyer Suhair Atassi and Kamal
Cheikho, an activist who had been released two days earlier. [65][66][67] World Organisation Against Torture published list of arrests and
demanded immediate release of them. [46] Mohamed al-Ali, a spokesman for the Syrian Interior Authority denied that any
demonstrations took place in Syria and said that the Facebook-campaign has proved unsuccessful. According to the spokesperson, the
"claimed protests" consisted of a bunch of people who were "hiding" among the already packed souq and tried to make it look like a
demonstration. [68] In another statement, he finally acknowledged the protest but then turned it around by saying that the demonstration
which was outside the Interior Authority's building was actually in support of President Bashar al-Assad. [69]
18 March – "Friday of Dignity" On 18 March the most serious unrest to take place in Syria for decades erupted. [70] After Friday
prayers, thousands of protesters demanding an end to alleged government corruption took to the streets of cities across Syria. [71] The
protesters were met with a violent crackdown orchestrated by state security forces. The protesters chanted "God, Syria, Freedom" and
anti-corruption slogans. [72] Amateur video footage posted on YouTube and Twitter showed large groups of protesters in several cities,
such as Damascus, Daraa, Homs, Baniyas, al-Qamishli and Deir ez-Zor. [73][74][75] In Damascus, Syrian security forces dressed as
civilians broke up protests outside the Umayyad Mosque, dragging away at least two activists. [73] In the southern city of Daraa, people
chanted against Rami Makhlouf, who is the cousin of al-Assad. The regime responded with helicopters and water cannons. There
were unconfirmed reports that four protesters had been killed and hundreds injured. [70][72] A resident said that Syrian security forces
have killed three protesters in Daraa. [70] The Syrian Government responded by claiming that unnamed "infiltrators" had been
attempting to cause chaos. [76]
19 March Syrian security forces fired tear gas to disperse crowds in Daraa following the funeral of two anti-government protesters
killed by security forces on the previous day. [77] The crowds had been shouting "God, Syria, freedom" before the security forces
intervened. [77] Witnesses said that the gas used appeared to be more toxic than ordinary tear gas. [78] The Syrian League for Human
Rights reported that 10 women who had been detained on 16 March following a rally outside the interior ministry had begun a hunger
strike. [79]
20 March Thousands took to the streets in the city of Daraa for a third day, shouting slogans against the country's emergency law.
One person was killed and scores injured as security forces opened fire on protesters. [80] The courthouse, the Baath party headquarters
in the city, and Rami Makhlouf's Syriatel building were all set on fire, and seven police were killed by armed rebels [81][82]
21 March Protests started to spread further across the country. [83] Thousands of people took to the streets in Daraa and troops were
sent to the city. [84] Hundreds of people protested in Jassem and there were reports of protests in Banias, Homs and Hama. [84][85] It was
reported that an 11-year-old boy had died of wounds suffered when Syrian security forces dispersed a protest rally in Daraa, [86] and
meanwhile, the Beirut-based al Akhbar newspaper accused Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri's Future Movement of
paying the Syrian protesters something that which he immediately denied. [87] Demonstrators in Daraa set fire to the ruling Baath
Party’s headquarters and other government buildings. Police officers fired live ammunition into the crowds, killing at least one and
wounding scores of others, witnesses said. al-Assad made some conciliatory gestures, but crowds continued to gather in and around
the Omari mosque in Dara’a, chanting their demands: the release of all political prisoners; trials for those who shot and killed
protesters; the abolition of Syria’s 48-year emergency law; more freedoms; and an end to pervasive corruption. [88]
22 March There were protests in Daraa, Jassem, Nawa and Sanamayn. [89][90] There were also reports of protests in Inkhil and rural
areas around Damascus. [91] In Daraa, gunfire and tear gas was reported near the Omari mosque, which is a major gathering spot for
protesters. [92] An AFP photographer and cameraman were beaten by Syrian security forces in Daraa and had their equipment seized. [89]
Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called for an investigation into the deaths of six protesters who had been
killed by Syrian security forces in March. [89]
23 March There were reports that at least 15 protesters had been killed by security forces in southern Syria. [93] At least six people
were killed by security forces near Al-Omari mosque in Daraa, including a doctor and a paramedic. [93][94] Witnesses reported that a
12-year-old girl had been killed by security forces near the mosque. [93] Mobile phone connections to Daraa were cut during the day
and checkpoints were set up throughout the city and manned by soldiers. [93] Security forces were also preventing ambulances from
entering the city centre, where the mosque is located. On the evening of the 23 March, there were reports that Syrian security forces
had opened fire on hundreds of young protesters who had been marching towards Daraa. [95]
24 March Around 20,000 protesters marched at the funerals of nine protesters killed by security forces in Daraa. [96] Syrian Human
Rights Committee reported that number of deaths rose to 32, [97] while AFP reported that more than 100 people were killed by police