In a move supposedly meant to placate protesters, Syria has abolished its 48-year-old ‘emergency’ rule law. But this isn’t a sign that the regime is totally giving in. (It seems instead that the regime just wants the world to think that it’s meeting the demands of the protesters, without actually reforming.) For the last few days and even longer so-called security forces have been firing upon peaceful protesters. In the city of Homs alone, 14 protesters were killed on Sunday (more have been killed since).

The New York Times is calling it a “mix of concession and coercion”: