Syrians protest Arab League suspension
  • 12 years ago
Thousands of Syrians rally in the port city of Latakia to protest the Arab League's decision to suspend the country's membership.
Syrian TV shows crowds gathered in the streets, waving the national flag and wielding posters of President Bashar al-Assad.
The Arab League voted to suspend the country's membership starting Wednesday, and has asked opposition groups to draw up plans for a transition of power.
Syria said it would boycott an Arab League meeting in Rabat following the decision -- as regional states step up efforts to isolate the nation's autocratic ruler for refusing to end eight months of violently repressing protests.
The meeting of Arab foreign ministers comes four days after the League voted to discipline Syria for pursuing a brutal crackdown on its people instead of implementing an Arab peace initiative.
Travis Brecher, Reuters