Syrians protest outside Russian embassy Wednesday, 08 February 2012 04:11

Syrians in Qatar protest outside the Russian Embassy in West Bay yesterday.Qassim Rahmatullah

DOHA: Hundreds of Syrian expatriates, including women and some children, staged a protest in front of the Russian embassy in the West Bay diplomatic enclave late yesterday afternoon.

They were expressing their anger over Russia recently vetoing a UN Security Council resolution on the Syrian crisis that condemned the Bashar Al Assad regime.

Many of the protesters were carrying Syrian flags, placards with anti-Russian slogans written on them and photographs of Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Some of the placards carried slogans written in the Russian language as well Arabic and English, and at least one of them read: “Your veto’s killing innocent Syrians”.

The protesters chanted slogans and often in chorus saying ‘We want freedom’ and some of them even burnt, spit on and tore down photographs of the Russian leaders, Medvedev and Putin.

The protesters began gathering in an open ground right opposite the Russian embassy a little after 2.30pm and by 3pm the ground was partially filled with hundreds of people, some 50 to 60 of them women and a few children.

The protests were peaceful and the police presence was large. Policemen could be seen forming a barrier along the embassy’s compound wall.

Later, what appeared to be a posse of anti-riot police was also deployed on the scene of the protest.

One of the protesters who gave his name as Waleed Hussein and said he was a lawyer, told The Peninsula in the midst of slogan chanting: “We have gathered here to express our anger at Russia. Its veto means that Russia is a party to the killing of innocent civilians in Syria.”

Hussein said let Russia veto the Security Council resolution against the Syrian regime but that would not let the people of Syria backtrack from their revolution and their demand for freedom.

“Bashar (Al Assad) can’t rule us anymore. His fascist regime is coming to an end… Russia would do better to change its stance vis-à-vis Syria and must back its people and their aspirations,” said Hussein in an emotionally charged voice.

He said, talking of the Chinese veto as well, that people in the Arab and Islamic world should boycott Chinese products in protest.

A woman protester who refused to give her name said: “We are here to express solidarity with our brethren back home. All Syrians irrespective of their sect, regional or religious affiliations, are united on the issue of regime change…We want a free and democratic Syria.”

The protest continued for about 90 minutes and the demonstrators dispersed peacefully after that.

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