Syrian forces fire tear gas near Damascus square

Syrian security forces used batons and tear gas on Friday to prevent thousands of protesters marching from several suburbs of Damascus from reaching the capital's main Abbasside Square.

"I counted 15 mukhabarat (secret police) busloads. They went into the alleyways just north of the square chasing protesters and yelling 'you pimps, you infiltrators, you want freedom? we will give it to you'," one of the witnesses said. (Reuters)