Syrian rebels fire into the air to disperse protest by civilians in a rebel-held district of Aleppo

Amateur footage, posted on a social networking site, shows Syrian rebels firing into the air to disperse a protest by civilians in a rebel-held district of Aleppo. They had been demonstrating against a blockade preventing food and medicine reaching government-held areas of the northern city of Aleppo, residents said on Wednesday. Rebel fighters have stopped supplies entering western Aleppo for weeks. The tactic is aimed at weakening the supply routes of President Bashar al-Assad's forces but residents claim thousands of civilians are now left hungry. The video footage appeared to show dozens of civilians in the rebel-held neighbourhood of Bustan al-Qasr protesting at a rebel checkpoint which prevents supplies from entering the western part of the city, home to two million people and held by the army. Although insurgents and the army control different parts of the country, civilians are normally allowed to cross freely to shop or meet family members and friends. Report by Lindsay Brown. Subscribe to ITN News! http://bit.ly/itnytsub Like us on Facebook:   / itn   Follow us on Twitter:   / itn   Visit our homepage: http://itn.co.uk Latest Syria news from ITN: 'Assad is today's Hitler': Protesters picket White House after Obama's speech: http://bit.ly/1e6mXZi President Obama to ask Congress to approve military action in Syria: http://bit.ly/14cG2Y3 Putin tells US to present its evidence over Syria to the UN: http://bit.ly/17yqkDH DISTRESSING IMAGES: Terrible burns after napalm-like airstrike in Syria: http://bit.ly/172talh Barack Obama lays out plans for Syria strike: http://bit.ly/16T8I6c Syria conflict explained: What caused the crisis in Syria?: http://bit.ly/15lWKOD Chemical attack in Syria: Shocking first verified pictures: http://bit.ly/17Qubf1 Snipers shoot at UN convoy at site of Syrian chemical attack: http://bit.ly/15fn4di Other news from ITN: Veteran broadcaster Sir David Frost dies from a heart attack: http://bit.ly/14S1uQq Buildings swept away in giant China landslide: http://bit.ly/146d2B5 Six-year-old boy's eyes gauged out in horrific attack: http://bit.ly/19Z1JgW Sinkhole swallows trees whole in Louisiana swamp: http://bit.ly/19WL9ht Hosni Mubarak appears in court days after release: http://bit.ly/1dL5buy Incredible time-lapse of snails reveals snail's pace: http://bit.ly/14A9WUh Russian military ship ploughs onto a crowded beach: http://bit.ly/1d4Oyfo Check out Truthloader, the new home of citizen journalism on YouTube. Subscribe now at http://bit.ly/tldrsub See 2013's Most Watched Videos: http://bit.ly/14iM9r5 See our Top 20 Most Watched Videos: http://bit.ly/11GI36D See 2012's Most Watched Videos: http://bit.ly/18R1boW