Gulf states close embassies in Syria

DAMASCUS, Syria, March 16 (UPI) -- Four countries in the Arab Gulf region closed their embassies in Damascus Friday to pressure Syrian President Bashar Assad to step aside, officials said.

Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar joined Saudi Arabia and Bahrain by closing their embassies in the capital, The New York Times reported.

Several Western countries, including the United States, have already closed their embassies in Syria to push Assad to step down.

The embassy closures come a day after a massive protest -- dubbed the "Global March for Syria" -- took place in Damascus to mark the one-year anniversary of the first demonstrations against Assad's regime.

Demonstrations for Syria took place in cities around the world Thursday, including in Paris, which has a sizable Syrian population, Radio France Internationale reported.