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Protests Spread to Damascus
(Telegraph-UK) Christine Marlow and Nick Meo - Signs of the strain being felt by the embattled Assad regime are visible even in the center of Damascus, according to fresh accounts from fleeing Syrians who talked to the Sunday Telegraph in neighboring Lebanon last week. The government sent thuggish security forces on to the streets of the capital, which until recently have been mostly quiet. A Syrian student aged 28, who uses the name Abdullah, said: "You can often hear shooting now and sometimes bombs as well....I live in a modern, prosperous area in the center of town. We're just not used to this." He described how checkpoints had suddenly proliferated across Damascus along with security forces and sometimes even tanks. Many Damascenes had their first taste of protest last week. Emboldened by the presence of Arab League officials in the country, thousands travelled to suburbs of the city where massive demonstrations were staged, especially Douma and Midan.