Reporting from Damascus, Syria?
In Syria, even beasts of burden have become casualties of the antigovernment uprising: Unwittingly pulled into the protests, 15 donkeys reportedly were shot by soldiers after they walked through the city streets with the words "Bashar al Assad" spray-painted on their rears.The shooting of the donkeys provides a vivid symbol of the uphill struggle peace activists face in pushing nonviolence as they try to maintain momentum and spur those on the sidelines to join the rebellion.
The coalition group Freedom Days is targeting Damascus, the capital and the regime's base, and, to a lesser extent, the northern city of Aleppo to spread its message against President Bashar Assad.
The nearly yearlong uprising has yet to fully penetrate these two cities, in part because Assad still has strong support there and because of the large presence of security forces and shabiha, the regime's militiamen.
"We target the silent citizens," said one Freedom Days activist who goes by the nickname Zaza. "These include all of those who care about the country but they are just too scared to participate."
In recent months, Freedom Days filled helium balloons with confetti, the word "freedom" emblazoned on the outside of the balloons and on each piece of paper. "We let them go close to soldiers at a checkpoint in the city center. They shot them down, and the freedom confetti scattered on the street," recounted an activist in the group who goes by the name Juma.
"Every day we try to do something to send our message to the people," Juma said.
But in parts of the country where protesters are regularly shot at, there is a growing rejection of a peaceful solution to the conflict and more of a reliance on the rebel Free Syrian Army. In light of what happened in Libya, many Syrians are asking why the same can't happen in their country.
"People are not accepting the word 'peaceful' or 'nonviolent' these days," Zaza said. "People are thinking like this in several cities in Syria, especially the violent ones like Homs where bullets are flying everywhere. At some point in these places, people reached situations where they don't care if they live or die. That is why it seems easier to carry a weapon than it is to adopt an approach that takes more time."
Other peaceful activists have also struggled to gain traction. In September, an activist in exile in Jordan began a virtual solidarity sit-in (http://www.syriansitin.com) inviting people to declare their support for the Syrian people.
"There are many Syrians outside Syria and they want to show their solidarity with Syria, and there are many Arabs outside the Arab world too," said campaign founder Khaled, who didn't want to use his full name.
But the effort lacks exposure and participation. In more than four months, it has gotten only 350 participants, and the most prominent contributor is Abdulfattah "John" Jandali, Steve Jobs' biological father, who was born in Homs.
"We are trying all the methods that we can to get our voices out there, in all languages and in all methods," Khaled said.
In early December, Freedom Days distributed as many as 4,000 CDs in Damascus neighborhoods that had not yet shown signs of opposition to the regime, an activist named Hala said. The CDs were loaded with pro-revolution videos, tutorials on peaceful direct action and anti-Assad slogans.
"Our message to Syrians is, 'If you don't want to stay under this regime for years to come, then do as we say,' " Hala said. "It will take months before the plan has real impact. But we can win this peacefully. We don't want NATO to come to Syria; we don't want war."
The steps on the CD describe a schedule of civil disobedience called karamah, or "dignity." Starting with school boycotts and escalating to road blockages, the project was designed to bring the capital to a halt, campaign organizers said.
It launched Dec. 11 with a general strike across the country. In the restive suburbs of the capital, including Duma and Qaboun, rows of shops stood shuttered. Teachers in some schools sent fliers to the children's homes announcing the strike.
Outraged by the display of defiance, Syrian soldiers and shabiha pried the shops open or fired at the locks. Others cracked down on the schools, arresting teachers and trashing classrooms, activists said.
With many people afraid to strike, activists then pushed for "complete inactivity at work."
"It is dangerous for you not to go to work. So go to work, but don't do a thing," said Omar Khani of the Syrian Revolution General Commission, a nationwide group that coordinates opposition movements.
Before municipal elections in December, Freedom Days took to the streets of Damascus again and, over photos of candidates, plastered photos of people killed in the uprising.
On Jan. 5, people banged on empty gas tanks as a symbol of the shortages. Three days later, activists put up their version of the Syrian flag ? three stars instead of two ? in Damascus: at the citadel, on street poles and on school buildings.
"A year and a half is the time we have given to ourselves on the plan other than the year that already passed," Zaza said. "But if you share that with the people that are being killed on a daily basis, they will never accept it, thinking that the violent option is faster."
The correspondent, who was not accredited to report in Syria, is unidentified to protect sources in the country. Times staff writer Raja Abdulrahim in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
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