Top Stories

• UN Secretary General Ban Ki Mon said that Assad is personally responsible for the crimes committed against demonstrators in Syria.

• UNSC accepted France’s proposal to hold a hearing session for UN High Commissioner of Human Rights to review the documented crimes against humanity committed by the regime.

• The regime has not paid the salaries of many school teachers, soldiers, and retired public servants since the beginning of this month.

Top Videos

• Al-Tal, Damascus Suburbs: Lifeless body of fallen hero Ahmad Ghabra

• Harasta, Damascus Suburbs: Lifeless body of fallen hero Diab Affouf

• Harasta, Damascus Suburbs: Lifeless body of fallen hero Ziad Madah

Summary of Events

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Mon said that Assad is personally responsible for the crimes committed against demonstrators in Syria. Ban Ki Mon expressed his disagreement with Assad’s recently aired interview in which he denied responsibility for the killings and his lack of empathy. On the other hand, UNSC accepted France’s proposal to hold a hearing session for UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay to review the documented crimes against humanity committed by the regime.

The news circulating a few days ago regarding potential Hama-like massacre being planned in Homs was corroborated today with information pointing to preparations by Maher’s Fourth Regiment and the Republican Guard. Homs is the only city that witnessed massive daily demonstrations since the beginning of the uprising regardless of the siege and crimes committed against its people. In Homs and its suburbs, there are more than 67 security checkpoints, 1500 military vehicles, 25,000 troops and militiamen. Homs has sacrificed more than 1750 fallen heroes for the revolution, 1000 missing people, 20,000 detainees, 9,000 injured, and 25,000 displaced civilians. On top of that, 20% of residential areas in Homs have been completely destroyed, many neighborhoods haven’t had electricity for months, over 10 neighborhoods haven’t had trash picked up from the streets since the beginning of the revolution, and most revolting areas are not allowed to purchase heating fuel, even though Homs is an extremely cold city. Additionally, more than 40 kidnappings and rapes of adults and minors have been documented, in addition to the killing of 25 children. Yet, demonstrations still broke out from at least 25 locations. It is feared that the regime will commit a major ethnic cleansing for the city under the ever-postponed Arab League protocols. The regime is currently forcing detainees to confess to bearing arms in their demonstrations and videotaping them to present to the Arab League’s fact-finding mission. Detainees are being promised freedom while being threatened with their families.

Security forces killed at least 16 citizens today, mostly in Homs. Security forces arrested dozens of children and women from their houses in the Damascus suburb of Erbin, and drove them out in buses to unknown locations after clashing with defected soldiers. Many funerals were held today without bodies as the families of the fallen heroes refused to sign the release papers that stipulate all funerals are to be held in secret.

According to reliable sources, the regime is not able to pay many public servants anymore, as many school teachers, soldiers, and retired public servants have not been paid since the beginning of this month. On top of that, the public Industrial Bank is almost bankrupt, while the public Commercial Bank is following suit after the General Manager Duraid Durgham was arrested for embezzling approximately one billion Syrian Pounds. Moreover, all bonuses have been cancelled.

In Homs, after the neighbourhoods of Bayada, Karm Zaytoun, and Bab Sebaa were shelled continuously with heavy artillery all night long, security forces fire heavy machinegun rounds and shelled these neighbourhoods in addition to Bab Tadmur, Jab Jandali, Bab Sebaa, Bayada, and Bab Draib. The general strike called for has also seen a high response rate in Homs, while demonstrations broke out as usual from most of the revolting neighbourhoods, towns, cities, and villages. 

Revolution Statistics

Syrians killed: 5,078

Children killed: 332

Females killed: 222

Injured: +25,000

Missing: +50,000

Protestors killed under torture: 177

Protestors currently incarcerated: +59,000

Syrian refugees since March: +16,577

Refugees in Turkey: 10,227

Refugees in Lebanon: +4,000

Refugees in Jordan: +2,000

International Reactions

Arab Parliament Chief: What is happening in Syria is a mass massacre

Arab League to meet this week on Syria

UN rights chief dismisses Syria's Assad claims on credibility‎

Italy seeks tougher sanctions against Syrian regime

Turkey warns Syria not to provoke regional crisis

Saudi Arabia warns Assad against foreign intervention

Selected Media Coverage

The Examiner: US needs 'family of nations' to move on Syria

Upcoming Events

December 16: Chicago, USA

Demonstration at the Chinese Consulate to condemn China’s support to the Syrian regime

December 16: Bucharest, Romania

Demonstration in solidarity with the people of Syria

December 17: Paris, France

Demonstration in solidarity with the Syrian revolution

December 18: California, USA

Syrian revolution concert with Yahya Hawwa & Wasfi Maasarani

Videos

Damascus

Qabun: Demonstration in solidarity with the disaster-impacted city of Homs

Aleppo

New Aleppo: Evening demonstration in solidarity with the cities under attack

Damascus Suburbs

Al-Tal: Funeral procession of fallen hero Mohammad Ghabra

Zamalka: Mass demonstration in solidarity with the disaster-impacted city of Homs

Douma: Poem for the fallen heroes of Douma

Harasta: Demonstrators demand the authorities to hand them over the bodies of their fallen heroes

Damir: Thousands of protesters chant “we prefer death to humiliation” during the funeral procession of fallen hero Bilal Arafat

Kafarbatna: Funeral procession of the fallen heroes who were killed during Friday’s protests

Zabadani: All-women demonstration demands the downfall of Assad regime

Hammouriya: Mass demonstration joined by protesters from Saqba chants for the fallen heroes

Saqba: Mass demonstration during the funeral procession of the fallen heroes

Damir: The moment when fallen hero Mohammad Kilani was shot in the head

Aleppo Suburbs

Qabtan: Evening demonstration in solidarity with the city of Homs

Al-Bab: Evening demonstration in solidarity with the city of Homs

Homs

Deir Baalba: Funeral procession of fallen hero Fouad Kanaan

Waer: Demonstrators chant for the dignity of the Syrian people

Baba Amr: Mass evening demonstration demands the overthrow of the regime

Bab Sebaa: Evening demonstration chants for Homs despite the brutal repression

Qosur: Demonstrators chant “Assad’s end is near”

Ghanto: Demonstrators demand Assad’s execution

Joret Al-Shiyah: Demonstrators chant against the Syrian army which is killing its own people

Daraa

Sanamain: Demonstrators chant “we don’t fear death”

Kherbet Ghazaleh: Protesters announce the begging of the general strike

Tal Shehab: Mass evening demonstration chants “long live Syria and death to Assad”

Naima: Protesters block the roads in preparation for the general strike

Inkhel: Demonstrators chant “we only kneel to God”

Soura: Demonstration in solidarity with the cities and towns under repression

Hama

Karnaz: Demonstration in solidarity with the fallen heroes

Bab Qebli: Evening demonstration despite the electricity cut-off chants for the cities under repression

Qosur: Evening demonstration chants against the crimes of Assad

Central City: Funeral procession of fallen hero Ahmad Saqa

Idlib

Kasafra: Evening demonstration chants for the freedom and dignity of the Syrian people

Ma’arrat Noman: Funeral procession of fallen hero Hisham Naous

Ma’arrat Noman: Funeral procession of fallen hero Ayman Mandil

Deir Azzour

Jarthi: Demonstration in solidarity with the cities under brutal repression

Hasaka

Derbasiya: Demonstration by a group of lawyers condemning the human rights violations by Assad’s regime

Ras Al-Ein: Mass demonstration despite the cold weather demanding the ouster of Assad

Amouda: Mass demonstration on the global day for human rights demanding the downfall of Assad’s regime

Demonstrations Abroad

Romania: Demonstration by the Syrian community in solidarity with the people of Syria