Syrian forces fired shots at hundreds of protesters who had gathered overnight in Homs city, defying a warning by the authorities to halt what they called an insurrection.
A member of the security police addressed the protesters at Clock Square through a loudspeaker asking them to leave before forces opened fire, according to a human rights campaigner in contact with protesters in the square.
Tear gas was also used. At least one protester was injured, the activist added. Two residents of Homs also reported hearing the sound of gunfire coming from around the square.
Several hours earlier, Syrian state television broadcast an interior ministry statement that described the wave of unrest in Syria as an insurrection, pointing specifically to Homs as one of two cities where "armed groups belonging to Salafist organisations" were trying to terrorise the population. The Guardian
President Assad announced on Saturday that he would end nearly half a century of emergency rule next week - a key demand of the demonstrators. But Syria's unprecedented wave of protests shows no sign of abating, says the BBC's Kim Ghattas in Beirut, neighbouring Lebanon.
Activists say that checkpoints have been set up around the square to ensure that people coming in are unarmed civilians. BBC News
Oh, eh:
Secret diplomatic cables released by the website WikiLeaks indicate that the US has conducted a long campaign to overthrow the government of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Press TV