After the U.S. ambassador to Syria visited an opposition stronghold in Hama, Syria, pro-government demonstrators vandalized the United States and French embassies in Damascus on Sunday.
The Syrian government maintains that the visit undermined Syria’s sovereignty and stability. Amid international allegations of government abuse of civilian protesters, pro-Assad demonstrators, known as “mnhebak”, or “we love you,” found themselves at the end of French sticks.
Pro-Assad forces said that United States Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford’s criticisms of Assad’s violence against peaceful protests in Hama prompted the attack on July 9th.
The damage consisted of an unauthorized Syrian flag raised on embassy grounds, as well as graffitti that called the ambassador a dog.
According to activists, the mnhebak protesters demonstrated peacefully but “were faced with bullets.”
There currently are no reports of the number dead or injured from Sunday’s protest.