Syria regime supporters protest Arab vote,embassies attacked

Break-ins at Qatar,Saudi,Turkey missions; Syria calls for Arab League summit

Tens of thousands of Syrian government supporters poured into the streets Sunday to protest an Arab League vote to suspend the countrys membership,as Turkey sent planes to evacuate diplomatic staff and their families after a night of attacks on embassies.

Facing growing isolation,the Syrian government called for an urgent Arab summit to discuss the countrys spiraling political unrest and invited Arab League officials to visit before its membership suspension was to take effect on Wednesday.

The 22-member blocs vote on Saturday was a stinging rebuke to a regime that prides itself as a bastion of Arab nationalism. Violence continued Sunday,with activists reporting at least 11 people killed in shootings by security forces in several parts of the country.

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Sundays protests in support of the government drew large numbers in the capital and four other cities. Thousands of people carried red,black and white Syrian flags and posters of President Bashar Assad in a Damascus square. Similar demonstrations were held in the cities of Aleppo,Latakia,Tartous and Hasakeh.

The government called the Arab League decision illegal, claiming it was intended to set the stage for foreign military intervention like in Libya.

However,an offer to allow a visit by an Arab League ministerial committee and accompanying monitors appeared to signal some will to try to implement an Arab League-brokered deal for ending the violence.

Youssef Ahmed,Syrias ambassador to the Arab League,said the official request for an emergency meeting was on its way to the organisation and that Syria was awaiting a response.

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Hours after the Arab League vote,pro-regime demonstrators in Syria assaulted the diplomatic offices of countries critical of the government. Syrian security forces were unable to stop a group from breaking into the Qatari embassy and bringing down the Qatari flag and replacing it with the Syrian flag. Others entered Saudi Arabias embassy compound,broke windows and ransacked some areas,the kingdoms media reported. Protesters also tried to break into the Turkish Embassy in Damascus Saturday and into the countrys consulates in the cities of Aleppo and Latakia,Turkeys state-run Anatolia news agency reported.