Revolutionary forces are organizing a march Friday to support the Syrian people against what they call the human rights violations and massacres of the Bashar al-Assad regime. The march is scheduled to set off after Friday prayers from the Omar Makram Mosque near Tahrir Square to the Syrian Embassy in the Garden City neighborhood, and will demand the expulsion of the Syrian ambassador to Cairo, according to Al-Ahram online news portal. The 25 January Revolution Youth Coalition and Egyptian Current Party are among those who have announced their intention to participate in the march. According to Al-Ahram news portal, a large number of activists on online social networks have also announced their plans to march. Syrian and Egyptian activists in Cairo have periodically staged solidarity protests since the beginning of the Syrian uprising in March. Assad and his government have faced severe international and regional criticism over escalating violence against anti-regime protesters. Vetoes from Russia and China recently prevented the UN Security Council from passing a resolution condemning the Syrian government's behavior and calling for a peaceful transition of power. Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's preeminent institution, on Tuesday called for swift Arab intervention in Syria, saying that Syrian civilians have a right to defend themselves and their families against attacks. A group of Syrians in stormed their embassy in Cairo on 3 February, destroying furniture and setting some parts of the building on fire before security forces contained the situation. The embassy was also broken into on 28 January.
