Syria lifts emergency but bans demonstration

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BEIRUT, April 19(Agencies): Syria's government approved lifting the country's nearly 50-year-old state of emergency Tuesday to meet a key demand of anti-government protesters, but also issued a stern warning to demonstrators to call off their challenges to President Bashar Assad's hard-line rule. The mixed messages - just hours after security forces stormed an occupied square in Syria's third-largest city - leave ample doubt about whether authorities will ease their increasingly harsh blows against the month-old protests. Assad's regime has labeled the protest movement as an "armed insurrection" that could give them the cover to continue the crackdown. Assad last week had told his cabinet to remove the state of emergency - in place since his Baath Party took power in March 1963 - but added that such a move would give protesters no more reason to take to the streets. This could give Assad further pretext to move against any further marches or rallies. Syria's official news agency SANA said the cabinet also approved abolishing the state security court, which handled the trials of political prisoners, and approved a new law allowing the right to peaceful protests. The changes need parliament approval, but no objections are expected at its next session planned for May 2. Earlier report adds, Syria imposed Tuesday a total ban on all demonstrations after warning of a crackdown on an "armed revolt" by Islamist radicals and security forces fired on protesters in the city of Homs, killing at least 10. Syria's government says unrest in the country's third-largest city, Homs, and in the northern city of Baniyas amounts to an armed insurrection. The warning came after thousands of demonstrators occupied the centre of Homs Monday, vowing to stay until the president was ousted. Witnesses say security forces fired on the protesters in Homs and there are reports the square was cleared. Rights activists say about 200 Syrians have been killed in weeks of unrest. Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim al-Shaar told people "to refrain from taking part in all marches, demonstrations or sit-ins under any banner whatsoever," state news agency SANA reported. He warned that if demonstrations were held, "the laws in force in Syria will be applied in the interest of the safety of the people and the stability of the country." Shaar was understood to be alluding to the emergency law in place since 1963. Its repeal has been a central demand of reformists demonstrating since March 15, and President Bashar al-Assad promised at the weekend to rescind it within a week.