Binnish , Syria ( CNN ) -- Hundreds of men and boys kneeled on the floor of a packed mosque for Friday prayers , but the solemn religious rite quickly turned into a furious rain-soaked rally denouncing Syria 's president , Bashar al-Assad . Before completing their prayers , the congregation murmured words of condolences for a resident of this small opposition-held village , Muhamed Hasmus . Activists say Hasmus was killed Friday morning by a sniper in the nearby city of Idlib , an account CNN could not independently confirm . The remembrance of their neighbor caused the faithful to jump to their feet and erupt with the chant `` Allahu Akbar , '' which means God is great . They repeated their full-throated chants as they marched from the mosque to the village square in a pounding , freezing rainstorm . They unfurled banners , waved the opposition green , black and white flag , and conducted a ritual of defiance that has been repeated weekly in this opposition enclave for months . `` Our first demonstration was on April 1st , '' Ibrahim Qobani told CNN . `` I have never missed a single demonstration since . '' The 19-year-old Qobani led the latest demonstration in Binnish , which has been experimenting with self-rule . He stood on a rooftop with a microphone , dressed in a scarf and fingerless gloves knit with the colors of the opposition flag , and sang verses insulting the Syrian president . `` This is a tool for us to show the world that we need support , '' he said . `` During the week when I 'm talking to the guys ( opposition activists ) over the internet , I think about what to chant on Friday . '' This week , Qobani introduced new lyrics to protest songs . He replaced the word `` hurriye , '' which means freedom , which made up the chorus of a popular Syrian protest song , with the word `` harbiye , '' which means 'war . ' `` We were peaceful for ten months But now there is no other solution . We will fight , even with knives , '' said 21-year-old university student who only wanted his first name Hussam published , for security reasons . Wearing an opposition scarf around his forehead , Hussam had little positive to say about the U.N. General Assembly 's non-binding resolution endorsing an Arab League plan for al-Assad to step down . `` We did n't watch real action from the United Nations and all the world actually . They are just speeches , they do not help us , '' he said . One of the protest organizers had kinder words for the U.N. resolution . `` It sends a strong message to Damascus and to Russia and China that the world is against the Assad regime , '' said Ala Edien Hamdoun , who leads the local opposition council 's public relations committee . Hamdoun said he was well aware that the latest diplomatic broadside against Damascus would do little protect this small , defiant community should the Syrian military mount an all-out assault . Just a few kilometers away , within sight of Binnish , the Syrian government flag flies in the heart of the city of Idlib , the capital of Idlib province . Opposition fighters have raised the rebel flag just a few hundred yards from the government banner , which is also visible in the city center . Heavy machine gun fire from Idlib periodically echoes across the countryside , and tracer bullets can be seen arcing out of the city at night . Binnish residents say the Syrian army maintains a base about five minutes away from their village 's central square . Leaders of the rebellion in Binnish say the army doubled the number of tanks at that base over the last 24 hours . That deployment raised fears of a possible imminent attack on this opposition enclave .
Binnish is an opposition-held village . Friday demonstrations have unfolded for months . The Syrian government has said it will not negotiate with the rebels unless they lay down their arms and join a political process that includes Assad stepping down.