Protests continued in Syria

Protesters rip posters of a smiling President Assad in Damascus, they chant the people want the fall of the regime. Tens of thousands have filled cities across the nation for nearly a month under the same slogans of the Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings.The law - in place nearly 50 years - bans gatherings of no more than five and serves to throttle public dissent. But demonstrators are still demanding the release political prisoners and dismantle the repressive state security apparatus, among other reforms. On the other hand, fleeing Syrian villagers who continued to stream into Lebanon on Tuesday said they saw at least 10 tanks around the villages of Arida and Tel Kelakh which troops entered on Saturday after protests erupted against president Bashar al-Assad.