Well, the President's Speech finally happened. We'd been anticipating it since
the beginning of the protests, wondering what he'd say … rumors promised a lot
while he appeared to have disappeared. (To learn better speech skills for Lloyd
Logue or maybe Sir Michael Tyson? Probably not!) Last week, President Assad's
spokeswoman, Bouthaina Shaaban, had appeared and promised a whole list of
reforms. There'd be a lifting of the Emergency Law, in effect since 1963,
freedom of the press, legalization of opposition parties, free elections … it
seemed like a dream so many of us expected that we'd hear confirmation of all
that …
Meanwhile, protests had spread: rumors of roadblocks set up in neighborhoods
throughout Latakia, many deaths, rumors that Lebanese, Saudi, and Iraqi men
(identified by their accents allegedly) were stirring sectarian rage there …
Dera'a continued to burn … and yesterday, huge crowds measuring in the hundreds
of thousands filled the streets here in Damascus …
But not to protest the regime; rather to pledge support to Syria and to
President Bashar Assad! I stood on my rooftop (in the old city of Damascus) and
I could hear the chants of support for Assad, the patriotic music blaring and
echoing through the city's streets. I chose not to go and see …. But to wait.
Reports from all over the country spoke of similar crowds. And we heard that
Assad would speak at last … excitement built, anticipation, wonder …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrqyA0MJc88&feature=player_embedded
Were we on the eve of massive change for the better? I for one hoped so! And,
I think it safe to say, virtually everyone in Syria, whatever their political
feelings, fears the possibility of sectarian violence and civil war … I would
venture 99% of Syrians don't want to turn into a second Iraq or Lebanon (the
other 1%? Supporters of al Qaeda or of national traitors like Farid Ghadry who
speak for no one but themselves)
So, today, the parliement was assembled and the President was to address them –
and, of course, broadcast to the world. Like much of Damascus, I headed down to
see what would happen. There were thousands upon thousands of us there … many
were chanting in favor of the President … flags and pictures of the presiden
were all over the place … and then the President spoke …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTZHSL7LYaY&feature=player_embedded
To say we were disappointed is mild. Our expectations had been raised but now …
Assad spoke of how some laws might be changed but only after parliament had
voted to change the laws (while this is an autocracy, like the Roman principate,
they go through the pretense of a republic), after the Baath Party congress ….
And, yes, there will be elections later in the year. Assad also decried the
satellite television stations that, he claimed, were working against Syrian
interests (yes, there are some … not as many though as Assad might want us to
think, however) and claimed that, while most protesters were motivated by
patriotism (nice of him to notice!), many were also `inspired' by foreign powers
to undermine Syria (and, yes, there are more than a few countries where such
policies, when viewed from here, look rather like that; we heard Senators Kyl
and Leiberman calling for American freedom bombs to flatten us a few days ago,
or the voices in the last administration who said `real men want to invade
Damascus', as well as the neighbors closer to us). But the protests, Mr Assad,
are not motivated by those conspiracies! We want the Best Syria and we believe
that a free, prosperous, democratic and open Syria is not just possible but is
mandatory!
After the speech was done, we grumbled and argued in the streets. Why hadn't
the change we thought was coming happened? One woman standing by me, a long
time activist probably had the right of it: Assad doesn't want to look like he
bends easily to our pressure. So, even if everything happens that we hope, he
still wouldn't.
But it wasn't enough. One woman even tried to tell the President as much as he
tried to drive away:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyS3WkwZAjM&feature=player_embedded
I don't know what happened to her or who she was. Just rumors …
And what will we do now? I have just come in and written this down as fast as I
can … we were shouting in the streets, calling for freedom, shouting matches on
every corner … and from Latakia, word comes that the same has happened there.
Already the crowds are gathering to struggle for freedom there …
And, come Friday, when Jumaa prayers are done, we will be out, in every city and
every street, calling with one voice: "SOURIYA! AL HOURIYA!" FREEDOM!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1a3FdiPnew&feature=player_embedded
(thanks to al Jazeera for all these English language clips!)