SYRIA: ATTACKS ON US EMBASSY BUILDINGS IN DAMASCUS

Описание: (19 Dec 1998) Natural Sound

Attacks on U-S Embassy buildings in the Syrian capital of Damascus erupted on Saturday as part of a massive protest against the continuing American and British strikes on neighbouring Iraq.

Thousands of stone-throwing demonstrators attacked the American embassy with U-S guards firing tear gas from inside at the crowd as Syrian security forces tried to prevent demonstrators from storming the building.

Hundreds of these protesters also marched to U-S Ambassador's residency nearby.

Fighting their way inside, they upturned furniture, broke objects and trashed the building's contents.

Tens of thousands of Syrians took to the capital's main downtown streets to denounce the
American and British air strikes on Iraq.

The crowds chanted "Down with America" and attacked the U-S embassy in Damascus in the upmarket al-Rawdha neighbourhood.

Many pelted the building with stones, shattering windows.

Some demonstrators scaled the embassy wall, ripping down and burning a U-S flag.

They also smashed notice boards on the gates.

Embassy guards fired tear gas to disperse the angry crowd.

Several people were taken to hospital after inhaling tear gas.

The demonstrators - many of them school children - called for American and British forces to end their bombardment of Iraq.

Three protesters also found their way into the grounds and climb the walls of the building to haul down and burn the American flag.

Turning their attention elsewhere, hundreds of the demonstrators also marched to the nearby residence of the U-S ambassador.

Chanting anti-American slogans and hurling stones at the residency's gate many of them fought their way through Syrian security, climbed the gates of the compound and forced their way into the building.

The contents of the building were thrown all over the floor and the staircases.

Furniture was upturned and possessions were broken.

Witnesses say the ambassador's wife, Christine, was in the building but was not hurt.

Again outside the American flag went up in flames.

The rioting persisted on and off for more than six hours around the buildings, which were largely unmanned because they do not open for business on Saturday.

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