BEIRUT: Syrian security forces opened fire on anti-government demonstrations Friday, killing at least eight people as thousands took to the streets despite the near-certainty they will face gunfire, tear gas and stun guns, human rights activists and witnesses said. The casualties included three people in Qatana, a suburb of the capital, and four in the southern village of Dael, according to the Local Coordination Committees in Syria, which help organize the protests. One person also was reported killed near the border with Lebanon. The 10-week protest movement in Syria has evolved from a disparate movement demanding reforms to a resilient uprising that is now seeking President Bashar Al-Assad's ouster. On Friday, protests erupted in the capital, Damascus, and the coastal city of Banias, the central city of Homs and elsewhere. Human rights groups say more than 1,000 people have been killed since the revolt began in mid-March _ a death toll that has enraged and motivated protesters. Many activists in Syria have been opting for nighttime demonstrations and candlelight vigils in recent days, aiming for a time when the security presence has thinned out.
