LCC Update: Press Release from the Local Coordinating Committees: "Syrian Schools Rise Up Against the Regime"

Syrian schools rise up against the regime

Since the beginning of term for the new school year 2011- 2012, the besieging and storming of schools by Syrian security forces and arrest of students have intensified, all over different governorates of Syria, mainly owing to the fact that schools have increasingly become points from where spontaneous demonstrations are departure, calling for the fall of the Syrian regime.

During yesterday, 22nd September, security forced fired rounds of live bullets on a group of
students who were leaving on a demonstration in their home town of Da’il in Deraa governorate. The same happened in various schools, and resulted in various injuries among them. It also occurred in parallel with a series of arrests of students – none of them older than 15 years - who were subjected to severe beatings. Army tanks were stationed outside Da’il secondary school in order to prevent any demonstrations from leaving the school.

On the same day, in Daria in rural Damascus, two student demonstrations began, emerging from the Il Ghouta secondary school and Il Hikma school. At that point, members of the Airforce Security Intelligence branch fired upon Al Gharbiya secondary school, forcing the students to leave and besieging the school, as well as Il Hikma school.

A day earlier, security forces in the Zabadani area of rural Damascus opened fire on a student demonstration. In Jassim in Deraa governorate, security forces stormed the two schools of Abu Tamam and the trading college, arresting tens of students in the town and conducting a series of arrests among students, which continued well into the following day.

The security forces have surrounded all the schools in the towns of Erbeen, Zamlaka and Harasta in rural Damascus.

In Harasta, the security forces stormed the secondary school Ismail il Rees and began arresting a number of students, subjecting them to severe beatings after the students left the school to participate in a demonstration.

In the coastal area of Jable Sahiliya, the security forces besieged the school of Basil and started beating students just after their departure for a demonstration.

In the Qaboun area of Damascus, security forces stormed the girls’ school of Ahmed Layla after they had also departed for a demonstration.

In Barzeh in Damascus, demonstrations left from the 2 schools of Muslim Abdeen and Adnan Kulkili; security forces stormed the schools, arrested students and subjected them to severe beatings.

And in Tel, in rural Damascus, a student demonstration left on 21st September and resulted in the arrest of three female students and more than 15 male students, after beating them severely.

A number of other student demonstrations took place over the last few days, in each school in the areas of Il'Houla and Il Qasir in Homs governorate. Others took place in Saraqib and Maarshourin and Bansh Telmans in Idlib governorate; Barzeh in Damascus; Il Danmeen, Il Nakhl, Kharbet Ghazale and Il Harak in Deraa; Erbeen, Il Kiswe, Madaya, Buqeen and Douma in rural Damascus, and Izaz
school in Aleppo.

It is worth noting that all the fore-mentioned demonstrations departed from schools that ranged from the elementary to middle and secondary schools, and included both boys’ and girls’ schools. It also exemplifies the strong concern many activists have for these students, as concerns the fact that the regime and its security forces are not differentiating between adults and students during its crackdown, including arrests, torture and the repression in general. It should be considered also that these demonstrations leave the schools in an entirely spontaneous manner without any prior organisation, planning or coordination.