Protesters topple statue of Assad's father in Damascus suburb: witnesses

Anti-government protesters toppled a statue of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's late father Hafez in the mostly Druze and Christian Damascus suburb of Jaramana on Saturday, witnesses told AFP.

A witness said by phone that he saw "dozens of protesters" tearing down the statue in a main square in Jaramana, which bears the former president's name. Another witness said the statue had been smashed when he went by the square later. Video footage circulating online and verified by AFP showed young men toppling the statue and chanting anti-Assad slogans.