Jamil Mardam Bey
On the domestic front, National Bloc leaders were repeatedly frustrated in their attempts to broker a treaty with France and on January 27, 1936, Jamil Mardam Bey, on behalf of the National Bloc, called for a General Strike to be maintained till constitutional life was restored to Syria. The strike turned violent, claimed lives on both sides, and led to the exile of Mardam Bey and other nationalist leaders The French arrested thousands of people over the course of a month and by February 26 more than 3000 people had been imprisoned, among them many nationalists. The French once again were shown in a negative light on the domestic and international stage and they made an about turn at the beginning of March by agreeing to negotiate a treaty.