Facebook becomes means for revolution preparation

PanARMENIAN.Net - A Facebook page has called for mass protests in Syria and in several Western countries against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

The organizers of the page, which had 25,000 fans early on February 26, said the date for demonstrations to be held "in all Syrian cities" was being carefully studied and "will be determined in a few days."

It urged "peaceful demonstrations in all Syrian cities, in Canada, in the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany and Australia" to demand Assad's ouster.

The organizers say on the page that they do not belong to any party, but are "defenders of human rights, Syrian militants inside Syria and in Europe."

Syria was 173rd of 178 countries in a 2010 ranking of press freedom around the world by Reporters Without Borders, eight rungs lower than in 2009 because of its stepped up controls over the Internet, AFP reported.