TFLE01: SYRIA DAILY SITREP 06 FOR FRIDAY, JULY

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 003578 SIPDIS SIPDIS PARIS FOR WALLER; LONDON FOR TSOU E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2015 TAGS: PGOV PREL SY SUBJECT: TFLE01: SYRIA DAILY SITREP 06 FOR FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2006 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Stephen A. Seche, per 1.4 b,d. ¶1. (C) Summary: ¶2. (C) A demonstration in support of Hizballah began at 1900 hours July 20 at Ommayyad Circle, located about four blocks from the Embassy. Emboffs reported that the 1200-2000 demonstrators, mostly teenage males, waved Hizballah flags and shouted anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans. Around 2100 hours some 200-400 of the demonstrators began making their way towards the Embassy. The SARG mobilized some 100 riot police to guard the embassy during the demonstration, with half of them in front of the Embassy and the rest in a forward position, using parked vehicles to block the demonstrators approach about two blocks distant. Emboffs who observed the demonstration described it as most overtly anti-American protest since the Israeli conflict with Hizballah began. ¶3. (C) According to RSO personnel, demonstrators probed in several different directions to approach the Embassy, but none was able to get closer than the outer perimeter, two blocks away. Riot police managed to push the largest mass of demonstrators back towards Ommayyed Circle, where the demonstration broke up completely shortly afterwards. There was no damage to the Embassy or injury to personnel. RSO reported excellent response and and pre-demonstration information sharing by Syrian police. The demonstrations caused massive traffic jams in several directions for hours because of the closing of Ommayyad Circle, a major intersection connecting Damascus to outlying suburbs. ¶4. (C) Otherwise, Damascus is calm July 21. The Embassy is closed for the beginning of the Muslim weekend. SECHE