Syria's "Spontaneous" Demonstrations

From the New York Times:

Syrian Government Mobilizes a Vast Rally to Support Assad
DAMASCUS, Syria, Oct. 24 - Tens of thousands of Syrians, some of them carrying photographs of President Bashar al-Assad and chanting anti-American slogans, protested in Damascus on Monday against the findings of a United Nations report about the assassination of the former prime minister of Lebanon, Rafik Hariri.

That would be this report, which stated there was substantial evidence Syria was behind the assassination of the popular Hariri. That attack would lead to intense international and public Lebanese pressure. Syria, which had long considered Lebanon its private playground, had to pack up and move out, ending a twenty-year occupation.

But that's only the lead. Here is how public demonstrations occur in a totalitarian state:

"We are protesting against the Mehlis report because it is untrue," said Marwa Jelaylat, 17. "We were very surprised to hear these accusations against our government."

Like many of the protesters, Ms. Jelaylat was carrying an armload of textbooks and wearing her high school uniform. She said she and her classmates were told when they arrived at school that their classes were canceled and that they would be "spontaneously demonstrating today in support of President Assad."

Damascus University students and public employees said their classrooms and offices had also been closed to allow them to demonstrate. All users of Syriatel, a mobile phone provider that is owned by President Assad's first cousin, Rami Makhlouf, received text messages at about 6 a.m., urging them to participate in "a demonstration supporting the national attitude."

Heh. Shades of "1984," anyone?

Found at The Corner.