For over six months, popular protests at first demanded fairly simple reforms looking for more transparency in government and were surprisingly modest about their demands on President Bashar Al Assad, but in the face of continued government intransigence many protesters have started to demand regime change.

The outlook is uncertain as the protesters look ready to continue their marches, and the government is unable to come up with any practical answer. But it is very clear that shooting tens of people every weekend is not right, and will not succeed.