Syrians commemorate uprising anniversary for first time since Assad鈥檚 fall

Syrians were set to commemorate the 14th anniversary of their uprising on Saturday in public demonstrations in Damascus and other cities for the first time since president Bashar al-Assad was toppled. (Getty Images)
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  • Syrians were set to commemorate the 14th anniversary of their uprising on Saturday in public demonstrations in Damascus and other cities for the first time since president Bashar Assad was toppled

DAMASCUS: Syrians were set to commemorate the 14th anniversary of their uprising on Saturday in public demonstrations in Damascus and other cities for the first time since president Bashar Assad was toppled.
A demonstration will be held in Umayyad Square in the capital Damascus, the first after years of repression under Assad during which the square was the sole preserve of the toppled president鈥檚 supporters.
Activists also called on people to gather in Homs, Idlib and Hama at demonstrations raising the slogan 鈥淪yria is victorious.鈥�
Qader Al-Sayed, 35, told AFP that 鈥渨e always used to protest on the anniversary of the revolution in Idlib, but today we will celebrate victory in the heart of Damascus.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a dream come true,鈥� he added from Damascus.
Syria鈥檚 conflict began with peaceful demonstrations on March 15, 2011, in which thousands protested against Assad鈥檚 government, before it spiralled into civil war after his violent repression of the protests.
This year鈥檚 commemoration marks the first since Assad was toppled on December 8 by Islamist-led rebels.
Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who headed the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham which spearheaded the offensive, has since been named interim president.
On Thursday, Sharaa signed into force a constitutional declaration regulating a five-year transition period before a permanent constitution is to be put into place.
Analysts have criticized the declaration, saying it grants too much power to Sharaa and fails to provide sufficient protection to the country鈥檚 minorities.
It also came a week after Syria鈥檚 Mediterranean coast, the heartland of Assad鈥檚 Alawite minority, was gripped by the worst wave of violence since his overthrow.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, security forces and allied groups killed at least 1,500 civilians, mainly Alawites, in the violence that erupted on March 6.
The United Nations鈥檚 special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, said on Friday: 鈥淚t is fourteen years since Syrians took to the streets in peaceful protest, demanding dignity, freedom and a better future.鈥�
He added in a statement that despite the brutal civil war, 鈥渢he resilience of Syrians and their pursuit of justice, dignity and peace endure. And they now deserve a transition that is worthy of this.鈥�
He called for 鈥渁n immediate end to all violence and for protection of civilians.鈥�