Brutality

Syria Kills 20 Protesters

As nations call for Assad to step down.

Syrian forces fired on protesters after noon prayers on Friday, despite President Bashar al-Assad's promise to end his military crackdown. At least 20 protesters were killed in the shooting. The United Nations says 2,000 civilians have been killed since March, when the protests began. Yesterday the United States and the European Union called for Assad to step down, with President Obama promising stiffer sanctions and European diplomats saying they may follow suit. The U.S., Britain, and European allies said they would draft a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria, but Russia has so far opposed actions against Assad.