Monitors from Gulf Arab states are leaving Syria amid ongoing killings of protesters by the regime of Bashar al-Assad. On Tuesday, the Gulf Cooperation Council said it would suspend its involvement in the Arab League monitoring mission to Syria with no signs of Assad’s crackdown slowing down. Up to 68 people were reportedly killed across Syria on Tuesday. The Arab League says it will continue the monitoring mission, and Syria has authorized its stay for a second month. Meanwhile, at the United Nations, Russia is under continued pressure to stop blocking a Security Council measure that would condemn the crackdown. On Tuesday, demonstrators criticized Russia at a rally outside the United Nations.

Protester: “They are the chief arms dealer to the Assad regime. They have stalled for time, but they have now run out of time, and the world has united against Russia and against Assad. And we think now it is time for the United Nations Security Council to take the action that it’s responsible for taking if it’s going to live up to its Responsibility to Protect mandate.”