Thousands of revelers rallied in cities across Syria, including at a historic mosque in the capital Damascus, to celebrate during the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad.
The Assad clan’s brutal rule of more than half a century came to an abrupt end on Sunday as rebels launched a massive offensive across the country and seized the capital.
Assad fled Syria, ending an era in which suspected dissidents were jailed or killed, and ending a nearly 14-year war that left more than 500,000 dead and millions displaced .
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group that led the attack, on Friday called on Syrians to “take to the streets to express their joy” to mark “the victory of the blessed revolution.” Called for. ,
During the early days of the Syrian uprising in 2011, pro-democracy protesters would give their Friday gatherings a different name every week. The latest rally was called “Victory Friday.”
Interim Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir addressed a large gathering at the historic Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.
Thousands of people gathered at the mosque, some raising the three-starred Syrian independence flag, which no one dared to wave in the capital during Assad’s harsh rule.
The excited crowd chanted “The Syrian people are one!”
“I still feel like I’m dreaming,” said Khalil Rimo, 52.
“I still can’t believe I’m standing next to the Umayyad Mosque … and there’s no government thug there asking for ID,” Rimo said.
“We are gathering because we are happy that Syria is free, we are happy to be free from the prison that we lived in,” said Nour Thi al-Ghina, 38.
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Thousands of people also gathered in squares and streets in other Syrian cities, including Homs, Hama and Idlib.
There was a festive and relaxed atmosphere as hundreds of people rallied in the main square of Syria’s second city, Aleppo, where fierce fighting took place during the country’s civil war, AFP correspondents reported.
A huge billboard depicting Assad and his father Hafez was set on fire.
“The Assad father and son tortured us, but we have freed our country from injustice,” said a white-bearded policeman at the scene.
In the southern city of Sweda, home to Syria’s Druze minority, where anti-government protests have been raging for more than a year, hundreds of people took to the streets singing and clapping in joy.
“Our joy is indescribable. Every province is celebrating this great victory,” said Haitham Hudifa, 54.
The Sunni Muslim HTS is rooted in Syria’s al-Qaeda offshoot and has been designated a terrorist organization by several Western governments, who now face the challenge of reaching out to the country’s new leadership.
The group has sought to control its rhetoric, and the interim government insists that the rights of all Syrians will be protected – as will the rule of law.
The U.N. refugee agency said Friday the new government has sent “constructive” initial signals, including asking the organization to remain in the country.
Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries, who were due to meet virtually on Friday, said they stood ready to support a transition to an “inclusive and non-sectarian” government in Syria.
She called for the protection of human rights, including those of women and minorities, stressing “the importance of holding the Assad regime accountable for its crimes.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
