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Protesters in Syria Break Into U.S. and French Embassies

Published July 11, 2011
| FoxNews.com


BEIRUT --President Bashar Assad's loyalists broke into the U.S. Embassy compound Monday in the Syrian capital Damascus, Reuters reports.

Loyalists also reportedly tried to break into the French embassy. The attacks came as regime supporters protested outside both embassies for a third day.

The U.S. and French ambassadors angered the Syrian regime last week when they visited the flashpoint city of Hama, which has seen some of the biggest protests against Assad's rule.

A witness in Syria's capital says security guards at the French Embassy have fired into the air to drive back protesters taking part in two-pronged demonstrations outside the French and American embassies in Damascus.

The protests Monday come days after the U.S. and French ambassadors visited the opposition stronghold of Hama in central Syria. The witness says crowds were not allowed to get near the U.S. Embassy.

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Protesters in Syria attack US embassy
Demonstrations spurred by US and French ambassadors' visits to opposition stronghold
updated 40 minutes ago 2011-07-11T13:46:47
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BEIRUT — Syrian pro-government protesters attacked the U.S. embassy compound in Damascus on Monday, causing some damage, witnesses said.

The protesters smashed windows and raised a Syrian flag on the compound on Monday, the witnesses said. They also wrote anti-U.S. graffiti referring to the U.S. ambassador as a "dog."

The protests were spurred by visits the U.S. and French ambassadors made last week to the opposition stronghold of Hama in central Syria.

Protesters also converged on the French embassy where security guards fired into the air to drive back protesters, witnesses said.