The Damascus Bureau

Real news and stories from Syria

“Finally the monster woke up”

SMN No. 14, February 22, 2011 Reports of a spontaneous protest by hundreds of Syrians in the centre of Damascus have sparked the launch of new online initiatives for change and reform. The Annidaa website reported that in the afternoon of February 17, more than 1,500 people gathered in the Harika area of in Damascus [...]

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Warnings Over Open Access to Facebook in Syria

SMN No. 14, February 16, 2011 Activists have warned Syrian internet users to take precautions when accessing social networking sites after the recent lifting of a ban on sites such as Facebook. A range of sites including YouTube and blog hosts such as Blogspot have been blocked by Damascus but were re-opened recently. The new [...]

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Syrian Intellectuals Ask: Why Are We Banned From Travelling?

SMN No. 14, February 16, 2011 A number of Syrian writers and intellectuals have created a Facebook group calling for the abolition of a travel ban which imposed by the security services on some citizens without any legal documents or court order. The group, which attracted about 200 members within hours of being set up [...]

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The unfinished documentary

A tribute to Omar Amiralay February, 10, 2011 (All direct quotes were taken from media statements and interviews with Omar Amiralay) A few days ago, the dust of Damascus embraced the body of the great documentary filmmaker Omar Amiralay who passed away suddenly on February 5, aged 67. Amiralay directed 20 documentary films, all of [...]

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No Revolution by Remote Control

Through My Eyes: By a Syrian Human Rights Activist Damascus, February 8, 2011 This is a call for hope, don’t get me wrong. What is happening in the region gives us a long needed rush of optimism to stand up and tell the world, but first of all ourselves, that we too deserve a life [...]

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Renewed calls for mobile phone boycott

SMN No. 13, February 2, 2011 Syrian internet activists have renewed their call for a boycott of two local mobile phone companies on February 9. Some 14,000 people joined the Facebook group set up to promote the action against MTN and Syriatel, in the largest protest of its kind so far organised in the country. [...]

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Pro-regime Media Rallies Against Facebook Protests

SMN No. 13, February 2, 2011 The pro-government media in Syria has hit back at calls on Facebook by Syrian activists for demonstrations following the recent revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt. Syrians have launched a number of Facebook pages calling for similar change in Syria and organising protest events, including a number planned for February [...]

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Syrians Call For Facebook Revolution

SMN No. 13, February 2, 2011 Following the recent revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, Syrians have launched a number of Facebook pages calling for change in Syria and organising protest events. One group, entitled “The Day of Syrian Rage” and with some 200 members, called for a “popular movement against injustice, corruption and tyranny by [...]

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Syrians Call for Solidarity With Egypt

SMN No. 13, February 1, 2011 Syrian Facebook users are calling for public acts of solidarity with Egyptian demonstrators rallying against President Hosni Mubarak. With initial calls to gather outside the Egyptian Embassy in Damascus, activists are now asking people to protest in Bab Touma Square, a crowed location popular with tourists. The Facebook group [...]

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Syria Blocks the Word “Proxy”

SMN No. 13, February 1, 2011 A Syrian blogger has reported that the authorities have blocked all sites containing the word “Proxy”, as well as barring all internet searches for the same term. Anas Online wrote on January 31 that while until now Syria had previously individually blocked sites which provided the use of a [...]

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