Syrian protesters up the ante on demands

BEIRUT (AP)

Syria did away with 50 years of emergency rule Tuesday, but emboldened and defiant crowds accused President Bashar Assad of simply trying to buy time while he clings to power in one of the most repressive regimes in the Middle East.

Repealing the state of emergency, which gives authorities almost boundless powers of surveillance and arrest, was once the key demand of the monthlong uprising.

But the protest movement has crossed a significant threshold, with increasing numbers now seeking nothing less than the downfall of the regime.