DARAA, March 22: The Syrian town of Daraa saw a fifth straight day of anti-regime protests on Tuesday, an activist said, as a rights group reported the arrest of a writer demanding freedom of expression. “Around one thousand protesters gathered in and around the Omari mosque shouting anti-regime slogans, amid a heavy security and army presence,” said the activist in Daraa, 100kms south of Damascus.

The demonstrators formed a human shield around the mosque to prevent security forces from approaching it, he added.

A photographer and videographer in Daraa said their car was stopped in the old town and they were beaten by security forces, who seized their equipment.

After being taken in for questioning, they received an apology from the authorities, but had still not received their equipment back. The photographer said soldiers were manning checkpoints at all entries to the town and were cross-checking the identity cards of travellers with a list of names they had compiled.—AFP