Bashar al-Assad, Syria's president, has promised to consider reforms after a week of violent protests in the southern city of Daraa.

But that has not stopped the protesters who have called for countrywide demonstrations on Friday.

Thousands of people were on the streets on Thursday to mourn people they say were shot during the government's crackdown.

There are reports that Assad will speak to his nation within the next few hours to try to calm the situation.

Here's more from Al Jazeera's Rula Amin, reporting from the capital, Damascus.