Syrians Remember Journalists Killed

Large demonstrations took place across Syria on Wednesday night to commemorate the deaths of two western journalists and a prominent Syrian activist, amateur video footage posted online on Thursday purported to show.

Published

about 1 year ago

Categories

World, Middle East & North Africa, Middle East

Topics

Middle East & North Africa

People

Bashar al-Assad, Remi Ochlik, Marie Colvin

Places

Syria, Damascus, Homs, Aleppo, Baba Amro

Tags

protest, tribute, memorial, syrian civil war, journalism

Transcript

Script[Location - Date:Various - Feb. 22][Source:SHAMSNN - Amateur video] AMATEUR VIDEO RELEASED BY "SHAMSNN" - AP CLIENTS ONLY ++SHAAM NEWS NETWORK (SHAMSNN) IS A LOOSELY ORGANISED ANTI-ASSAD GROUP BASED IN AND OUT OF SYRIA WHICH POSTS VIDEO AND STILL IMAGES OF ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTS ON THE INTERNET. IT CLAIMS IT DOES NOT HAVE ANY CONNECTION TO SYRIAN OPPOSITION PARTIES OR ANY OTHER STATES++ ++AP TELEVISION CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AMATEUR VIDEO CONTENTS AS INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ACCESS TO SYRIA IS RESTRICTED++ ++QUALITY AS INCOMING++[VO:] SHOTLIST ++NIGHT SHOTS++ Homs (al-Qusour district) - 22 February 2012 ++16:9++ 1. Wide shot demonstration, then sign held up to camera reading (Arabic) "60 killed in Baba Amr in one hour. Oh Arab leaders, you are partners in this crime. We don't exclude anyone of you." sign removed, wide shot demonstrators singing and swaying, another sign held up reading (English) "Remi Ochlik, Marie Colvin, we will not forget you." sign removed, wide shot of demonstration, poster then held up to camera with photo of Marie Colvin 2. Demonstration - dancing, zoom in and out Damascus (Kafar Soussa suburb) - 22 February 2012 ++16:9++ 3. Wide top shot of demonstration in street, protesters clapping and chanting, fire lit in the air, UPSOUND (Arabic) "The people want the downfall of the regime. Syria is free." Damascus (Qedsiyya suburb) - 22 February 2012 ++4:3++ 4. Wide shot demonstrators waving flags, including Free Syria flag and Saudi Arabia flag ++AUDIO AS INCOMING++ Aleppo - 22 February 2012 ++4:3++ 5. Wide top shot, pan back and forth of demonstration, protesters chanting and waving flags, drum beating[INSERT: Wire Copy] Large demonstrations took place across Syria on Wednesday night to commemorate the deaths of two western journalists and a prominent Syrian activist, amateur video footage posted online on Thursday purported to show. On Wednesday, shelling of the Baba Amr area of Homs killed American-born veteran war correspondent Marie Colvin, and French photographer Remi Ochlik, and on Tuesday Rami al-Sayyed, a prominent activist famous for posting online videos from Homs was killed. The videos, surfacing online on Thursday, are said to have been filmed on Wednesday evening. In one clip, chanting and dancing crowds are seen at a demonstration, purportedly in the al-Qusour district of Homs. In front of the camera, placards are held up by the person filming, reading "60 killed in Baba Amr in one hour. Oh Arab leaders, you are partners in this crime. We don't exclude anyone of you," and another saying "Remi Ochlik, Marie Colvin, we will not forget you." Colvin and Ochlik were among a group of journalists who had crossed into Syria illegally and were sharing accommodation with activists, raising speculation that government forces targeted the makeshift media centre where they were staying. There were also demonstrations in Damascus and Aleppo to commemorate the death of Rami al-Sayyed, according to accompanying captions on activist social media websites. Al-Sayyed was part of a group known as "syriapioneer", a collection of people posting videos online showing the shelling and devastation in the Baba Amr neighbourhood of Homs. Amateur video and photos provided by activists has often been the only way for news organisations to visually illustrate events in Syria. The group "syriapioneer" was also one of only a handful of activist groups able to stream live video from Babr Amr, their pictures being broadcast by news organisations around the world. "Baba Amr is being under heavy shelling every second. Every second I expect to be martyred or hit by a rocket," al-Sayyed said in a clip filmed shortly before his death. The Associated Press cannot independently verify the content, date, location or authenticity of any of the videos. The Syrian military has intensified its attacks on Homs during the past few days, aiming to retake rebel-held neighbourhoods which have become powerful symbols of resistance to the rule of President Bashar Assad. For the government in Damascus, Homs is a critical battleground to maintain its control of Syria's third-largest city and keep more rebel pockets from growing elsewhere. The United Nations estimates that 5,400 people have been killed in repression by Assad's regime against a popular uprising which began 11 months ago. Syrian activists, however, put the death toll at more than 7,300.