Thousands gather in Damascus to protest against recent U.S. military raid on Syrian village

As expected, thousands of people gathered in Damascus on 30 October 2008 for a demonstration to protest against a recent U.S. military raid on a Syrian village located near the border with Iraq. Protesters gathered in Damascus' Youssef al-Azmi square, located a few miles away from the U.S. Embassy facility (in the Abou Roumaneh district where several other embassies are located). As a security precaution, anti-riot police officers surrounded the site of the protest; the embassy was closed and unstaffed for the day in light of the pre-announced demonstration and the security concerns associated with it. The protest ended after several hours and passed without major incident. Further protests against the raid and/or the United States are possible.