Syrian protesters plan online for ‘day of rage’

SYRIANS are organising campaigns on Facebook and Twitter that call for a “day of rage” in the capital Damascus this week, taking inspiration from Egypt and Tunisia in using social networking sites to rally their followers for sweeping political reforms.

Like Egypt and Tunisia, Syria suffers from corruption, poverty and unemployment. All three nations have seen subsidy cuts on staples like bread and oil.

Syria’s authoritarian president has resisted calls for political freedoms and jailed critics of his regime.