DUSHANBE, July 2, 2011, Asia-Plus – Syrian forces killed 24 civilians on Friday, a prominent rights lawyer said, as tens of thousands of people called on President Bashar al-Assad to step down in some of the biggest demonstrations since a three month uprising, Reuters reported on July 1.

Defying Assad''s military crackdown, demonstrators took to the streets again after Friday prayers across the country, from towns near the western Lebanese border to the desert regions near Iraq in the east.

“Bashar get out of our lives,” read placards carried by thousands of Kurds who marched in the northeastern city of Amouda, according to a YouTube video taken by resident.

Encouraged by the widening protests, prominent opposition figures plan to convene a ''national salvation'' conference in Damascus on July 16 to reach a broad based blueprint for solving Syria''s political crisis.

“In light of the military solution chosen by the regime to end the revolution, the conference aims to reach a consensus guided by the popular protest movement for a transitional period and a national salvation government that lays the foundation for a new constitution and free elections,” said a statement by the organizers, which was sent to Reuters.  The statement was signed by 50 figures.

Lawyer Razan Zaitouna told Reuters by phone that the 24 dead included seven protesters in the central city of Homs, scene of widening protests against Assad and 14 villagers in the northwestern province of Idlib, where troops backed by tanks and helicopters have been storming villages to subdue dissent.

The assaults concentrated on the northern section of Jabal al-Zawya region, home to 15,000 people, many of whom are trying to flee to Turkey, which already has 10,000 refugees from attacks in Idlib earlier this month.

Friday reportedly saw some of the biggest demonstrations yet against the rule of Mr. Assad.  Tens of thousands of people were said to have taken part in protests in the city of Hama on Friday.

Hama was the scene of a Muslim Brotherhood uprising against Mr. Assad''s father, Hafez, in 1982, which the army crushed, killing at least 10,000 people.

The BBC reported on July 2 that President Bashar al-Assad has sacked the governor of the city of Hama following mass anti-government protests on Friday.

Authorities have banned most international media from operating in Syria since the outbreak of the protests in March, making it difficult to verify reports from activists and authorities, international media outlet report.

Protesters have taken to the streets for 14 weeks to protest against Assad in unrest which has claimed the lives of around 1,300 civilians, with security forces arresting over 12,000 people and shooting security personnel who refused to fire on civilians, according to rights groups.  Authorities say 500 police and soldiers have been killed by gunmen they also blame for most of the civilian deaths.

Alongside the military crackdown, Assad has promised a national dialogue on political reforms.

The United States and European Union have imposed sanctions on Assad and his top officials in response to the violent repression of the protests.