Syria's hardline regime was grappling to contain new flare-ups after an uprising that has sharply eroded its repressive rule and has so far led to the deaths of at least 55 protesters.Despite the show of strength, President Bashar al-Assad has been unable to free himself from the most sustained threat to his 11-year rule, which has seen protesters attack posters of him and statues of his father, Hafez al-Assad, who ruled for 30 years. Such acts have been almost without precedent throughout four decades of totalitarian rule.
Assad had tried to stay ahead of the revolts sweeping the Arab world as they rumbled towards Syria, considered less likely to be affected than its neighbours. He had offered a string of concessions, such as heating fuel subsidies, access to previously banned social media and a three-month cut in military service.
However, his regime now appears to be facing a momentum that not even the Arab world's most feared police state could prepare for. There were reports of between 70 and 260 political prisoners being released, in what was being seen as the latest concession.
The concessions offered so far have shown no sign of containing the restive streets, which are feeding off the success of revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt as well as still simmering uprisings in Libya and Bahrain.
"These are unprecedented events in Syria," said Rime Allaf, a Syrian analyst at the Chatham House thinktank in London, "especially as they came in the wake of government promises of reform on Thursday night."
While anger grows, many Syrians remain unwilling to declare their loyalties, say analysts in Damascus. "There is not yet the critical mass needed," said one activist, who asked not to be named. Counter-demonstrations have been staged by loyalist groups and Syria's state media is not covering the protests in detail. Official media continue to blame unrest and shootings on armed gangs.