Mass Anti-Assad Protests Held as Syrians Flee to Turkey

Major cities across Syria have been brought to a standstill as thousands of protesters renew their call for the Assad regime to step down.

Syrians have taken to the streets for their weekly mass protests, with government snipers killing at least one citizen, although other reports putting that number as high as seven. The protests, which follow Friday prayers, renewed their calls for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down after his continued promises for reform were followed up by military and secret police crackdowns on protesters throughout the country. The Turkish government, meanwhile, has announced that another 1,500 Syrians have crossed into their country over the past day to live in refugee camps along the border, bringing the total number of Syrian refugees in Turkey to 11,500, with another 11,000 estimated massed on the Syrian side of the border.