Syria Rallies Draw Thousands After Cabinet Changes Announced

Syrian security forces blocked roads in Damascus to thwart a fifth week of protests against President Bashar al-Assad after yesterday’s cabinet reshuffle failed to calm demonstrators, activists said.

Routes to the Damascus suburbs of Douma and Harasta were blocked by vans and concrete blocks, as thousands took to the streets, Damascus-based human-rights activist Razan Zaitouneh said on her Facebook page. There were rallies in Homs, Aleppo, Qamishli, the port city of Latakia and Daraa, a flashpoint for dissent last month, she said.