Rallies in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in cities across Syria on March 29 in support of embattled President Bashar al-Assad.

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© RIA Novosti . Pavel Davydov

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in cities across Syria on March 29 in support of embattled President Bashar al-Assad. School children were given the day off.

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© RIA Novosti . Pavel Davydov

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Assad’s portrait adorns the building of the Central Bank in Damascus. Crowds flooded the central squares of Damascus, Aleppo, Hasaka, Homs and Hama, waving national flags and pictures of Assad.

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© RIA Novosti . Pavel Davydov

Demonstrators waved banners reading “People stand for you, Bashar!”

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© RIA Novosti . Pavel Davydov

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And chanted “We will sacrifice our lives and blood for you, Bashar.”

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© RIA Novosti . Pavel Davydov

It was by far the largest show of support for Assad since a wave of unrest in which dozens of people were killed erupted in southern Syria last week.

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© RIA Novosti . Pavel Davydov

Syrian Vice President Farouq al-Shara on March 28 said Assad would announce a raft of changes in the next two days that would “please the Syrian people,” in response to the unrest.