DAMASCUS: Syrian forces were accused of pressing their deadly crackdown on protest on Sunday even as thousands of regime supporters vented their anger a day after the Arab League suspended the country.

Governments of France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey issued strong condemnations of president Bashar al-Assad's regime after his supporters attacked their embassies in the wake of the suspension. Arab League foreign ministers on Saturday voted 18-22 to suspend Syria over its failure to comply with an agreement to end the crackdown on a nationwide protest movement calling for Assad's resignation.It called for the withdrawal of Arab envoys from Damascus and agreed on sanctions while inviting "all currents in the Syrian opposition to meet at Arab League headquarters in three days to draw up a joint vision for the coming transitional period".The move won widespread praise in the international community, and was hailed by the opposition Syrian national council, which said it was ready to take part in proposed talks regarding a transitional period.

But Assad's government on Sunday called for an urgent Arab summit."Syria demands an emergency Arab summit to address the crisis and its negative consequences in the Arab world," state television reported. In central Damascus, tens of thousands of people turned out in support of Assad, waving Syrian flags and portraits of the embattled leader. "The people want Bashar al-Assad," yelled demonstrators at Sebaa Bahrat Square. As state television broadcast footage of another massive rally in Omayad Square, also in the capital.

"The Syrian people are filling the squares of the nation and announce their rejection of the Arab League decision," state television said, showing more protests in the commercial hub of Aleppo and other cities. On the ground, Syrian security forces pressed their ackdown on dissent, killing at least five people in the central cities of Homs and Hama, rights activists said, adding two soldiers were killed in an ambush.