BEIRUT — Hundreds of thousands of Syrians poured into the streets of the opposition stronghold of Hama on Friday, bolstered by a gesture of support from the American and French ambassadors who visited the city where a massacre nearly 30 years ago symbolized the ruthlessness of the Assad dynasty.
The visit by U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford drew swift condemnation from the Syrian government, which said the unauthorized trip was proof that Washington was inciting violence in the Arab nation. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland called the charge “absolute rubbish.”
Mass demonstrations also erupted in cities and towns nationwide, triggering a crackdown that killed at least 13 people, activists said. But Hama’s protest was by far the largest, galvanizing residents in a city that has drawn the biggest crowds since the revolt began nearly four months ago.
Although President Bashar Assad still has a firm grip on power, international criticism over the brutal crackdown has left his regime shaken and isolated as it struggles to contain a protest movement that refuses to die.
The protesters have yet to come out in sustained numbers in the largest cities, Aleppo and the capital, Damascus, although there were scattered protests Friday and security forces killed one protester in Damascus.
The regime has staged large demonstrations in the capital, including on Friday, to showcase its support.
In recent days, Hama residents have largely sealed off the city, setting up makeshift checkpoints with burning tires and concrete blocks to prevent security forces from entering the city.
“As long as we have no security forces, we have no violence,” a Hama resident told The Associated Press by telephone from the city, asking that his name not be published out of fear for his safety.
Hama poses a potential dilemma for the Syrian regime because of its history. In 1982, the late Hafez Assad ordered troops to crush a rebellion by Islamist forces, killing between 10,000 and 25,000 people, rights activists say.
It appeared that the latest crowds approached those from a week earlier, when an estimated 300,000 people protested, although the figures could not be confirmed.
The U.S. and French ambassadors traveled to Hama in separate trips Thursday and left Friday before the protests kicked off, according to officials in Washington and Paris.
SYRIA: Visit by U.S. envoy sends messages
The Obama administration sent two distinct messages by dispatching the U.S. ambassador to Syria to meet anti-regime activists in a besieged city. To Syrian President Bashar Assad: Reform now. To critics in the U.S. of its engagement policy: Stop complaining.
Greeted by demonstrators with roses and cheers, the envoy, Robert Ford, on Friday finished a two-day trip to Hama aimed at driving home the message that the United States stands with those in the Syrian streets braving a brutal government crackdown.
The visit prompted fierce reaction from the Syrian regime and a renewed American warning that Assad was failing to stabilize his country by satisfying the democratic yearnings of his people.
EGYPT: Thousands demand trials for Mubarak cronies.
Tens of thousands of Egyptians braved scorching heat to hold one of their biggest protests in months Friday, filling streets in Cairo and other cities to demand trials for members of Hosni Mubarak’s regime and express frustration with the slow pace of change.
With the rally, dubbed “Friday of Accountability,” organizers were seeking to restore unity in Egypt’s protest movement, which has fragmented since Mubarak’s fall. The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s most organized political group, and ultraconservative Salafis joined the rally.
YEMEN: Saleh supporters, foes stage opposing marches.
Supporters and opponents of President Ali Abdullah Saleh staged competing marches in Yemen’s capital, Sana, on Friday, a day after his first TV appearance in a month. Saleh backers responded to the video by firing guns into the air in celebration. At least 11 people died from gunshot wounds across Yemen.
LIBYA: Khadafy warns enemies they will be trampled.
An agitated Moammar Khadafy lashed out Friday at those seeking to push him from power, warning in an audio message broadcast on state TV that NATO and his other enemies will be trampled “under the feet of the Libyan masses.” In the capital of Tripoli, meanwhile, thousands rallied in the main square for mass prayers and a show of support for Khadafy.
BAHRAIN: Top cleric assails reconciliation talks.
Bahrain’s top Shiite cleric on Friday criticized reconciliation talks between the Shiite- led opposition and the kingdom’s Sunni rulers, accusing the monarchy of using the U.S.-supported dialogue to delay democratic reforms. The remarks by Sheik Isa Qassim underline the deep tensions in the tiny nation, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.
Denver Post wire services
