Syria's government passed a bill today lifting emergency law in the country, the official
state news agency said.
The changes were a response to weeks of protests, inspired by uprisings elsewhere in the Arab world, demanding greater freedom and, more recently, an end to Assad's 11-year rule.
A pro-democracy demonstration erupted in the restive Syrian city of Banias just after the government passed the bill.
"Not Salafist, not Muslim Brotherhood. We are freedom seekers," hundreds of people chanted.
The chants were a reference to accusations by the authorities that armed Islamist groups were operating out of Banias and "spreading terror" in Syria, which has seen unprecedented protests against the authoritarian rule of President Bashar al-Assad.
Demonstrations have continued in several cities despite a series of announcements of political concessions by the president, who took over from his late father, Hafez al-Assad, in 2000.
Syrian forces fired shots at more than 20,000 protestors who gathered overnight in Homs city in defiance of warning by the authorities to halt what they called an insurrection, a rights campaigner said today.
Syrian activists said at least 18 protesters have died in clashes in the three days since president Bashar al-Assad ordered the cabinet to make changes aimed at calming dissent.
A member of the security police addressed the protesters at Clock Square through a loudspeaker asking them to leave. Security forces then opened fire, said the human rights campaigner, who is in contact with protesters in the square.
Two residents of Homs said they also heard the sound of gunfire coming from around the square. There were at least 10 casualties, an activist, Omar Adalbi, told Al Jazeera.
Thousands demanded the overthrow of president Bashar al-Assad yesterday at the funerals of 17 protesters killed in Homs as pro-democracy protests intensified despite a promise to lift emergency law.
Human rights campaigners said the 17 had been killed late on Sunday during protests against the death in custody of a tribal leader in Homs, 165km north of Damascus.
"From alleyway to alleyway, from house to house, we want to overthrow you, Bashar," the mourners chanted, according to a witness at the funeral.
The interior ministry described the wave of unrest in Syria as an armed insurrection, in a statement that human rights activists said signalled a harsher response.
Protests against the authoritarian rule of Mr Assad's Baath Party erupted in the southern city of Deraa more than a month ago, and have spread across the country.
The government says Syria is the target of a conspiracy and authorities blame the violence on armed gangs and infiltrators supplied with weapons from Lebanon and Iraq.
The statement said armed groups belonging to ultra conservative Salafist Muslim organisations had killed security forces and civilians, mutilated their bodies, destroyed property and blocked public roads.
Western countries have condemned the violence but shown no sign of taking action against Mr Assad, who consolidated his father's anti-Israel alliance with Iran and has backed the Islamist groups Hamas and Hezbollah while intermittently holding indirect peace talks with Israel.
Agencies