Protesters gather outside the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo - and call on Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to resign.<br/> <br />The demands come amid a bloody conflict between pro- and anti-government forces in Syria - a tug-of-war that has left at least 7,500 people dead.<br/> <br />Away from the crowds, Arab leaders discuss ways to end the violence, which erupted one year ago.<br/> <br />Arab League Secretary General Nabil el-Araby called on Damascus to listen to the "fair demands" of Syria's opposition movement.<br/> <br />Russian foreign minister Sergie Lavrov attended the meeting.<br/> <br />He fended off criticisms that Moscow, Syria's biggest arms dealer, has stymied efforts to oust Assad and end the violence.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE)(English) RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SERGEI LAVROV<br/> <br />"We are not protecting any regimes. We protect international law. And I believe when we talk on Syria that the immediate task now is to end violence, irrespective of the source."<br/> <br />But some Arab leaders pressed for stronger action.<br/> <br />Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, whose country has called for Syrian rebels to be armed, said the Assad government must be held to account.<br/> <br />Andrew Raven, Reuters
