BEIRUT — Syrian soldiers opened fire today on tens of thousands of protesters who flooded the streets shouting “We will not kneel!” in a strong show of defiance against President Bashar Assad, whose embattled regime is trying to crush a 5-month-old uprising.

At least one protester was killed in the central city of Homs, activists said. Military raids earlier in the day killed at least two people.

Friday has become the main day for demonstrations in Syria, despite the near-certainty of a government crackdown with bullets and tear gas. The latest rallies were largest in Homs and the outskirts of Hama in central Syria, Deir el-Zour in the east, Idlib province near the Turkish border and Latakia in the north.

The protests in Deir el-Zour and outside Hama were significant because government forces took control of both areas this week during military assaults. The fact that protesters still turned out was a strong sign of defiance and the latest signal that Assad’s forces cannot scare protesters into staying home.

Syrian troops opened fire on thousands in Deir el-Zour, according to two main activist groups.

Protesters struggled to turn out in great numbers inside Hama, however, due to the widespread deployment of soldiers and snipers stationed on rooftops, witnesses said.

Syria has banned most foreign media and restricted local coverage, making it impossible to get independent confirmation of the events on the ground. The government has justified its crackdown by saying it was dealing with terrorist gangs and criminals.

The military offensive reflects Assad’s determination to crush the uprising despite mounting international condemnation.

In Washington, presidential spokesman Jay Carney stopped just short of calling for Assad’s ouster, saying that Syria “would be a much better place without him.”