Syrians protest despite Assad's promises of reform

Hundreds of people chanting "God, Syria, Freedom!" took to the streets Sunday in southern Syria but security forces beat them back with batons, one day after President Bashar Assad promised to end nearly 50 years of emergency rule in an attempt to quell the growing uprising, witnesses said. Activists had called for protests across Syria on Sunday to mark Independence Day and to bolster the popular uprising against the country's authoritarian regime.

The demonstration in Suweida, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) southeast of the capital Damascus, drew about 300 people, according to witnesses who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear or government reprisals. They said police beat up demonstrators with batons in an attempt suppress the protest. The witness accounts could not be independently confirmed because Syria has placed tight restrictions on media outlets and expelled foreign journalists. Protesters in several other cities also were planning demonstrations.  (AP)