The sit-in began at 5:00 am Wednesday, January 27, with protesters demanding the resignation of the governor of Homs city, Talal Barazi, and the dissolution of the district security council.

Participants set fire to rubber tires at the beginning of the sit-in, in which a number of people from neighboring districts participated, including the Akrama neighborhood. Protestors said the intersection would remain closed until their demands were met, according to the webpage “News Network for Assad’s Homs.”

Other pro-regime pages reported from the sit-in, including the “News Network for Loyalist Homs,” which described the event as “wonderful,” adding that “the participants are outraged, and the demands and aims are clear. No security officer or official will stand in our way.”

One page commented on pictures of the sit-in, saying: “The basic demand is that the whole security council resign, not just the governor. They have failed 52 times — enough of them,” adding, “We have great officers but there are a few failures. Why don’t they send the heads of the branches in Damascus here, and send the heads of the branches here to Damascus.”

Another said the aim of the bombing today in the Hamra district, which according to the official SANA news agency caused only material damage, was “to demonstrate to the media that bombings are not limited only to Zahraa and the surrounding districts.”

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.