Damascus, Syria – Around Damascus’s Umayyad Square, youngsters leaned out the home windows, waving Syria’s inexperienced, white and black flag as fireworks burst within the sky.
December 8, the anniversary of liberation for the capital and the nation as an entire, was two days away, however crowds had already begun to assemble within the sq..
Nearby, standing alone and watching the festivities, stood Abu Taj, 24. Ten years earlier, he had left his dwelling within the Aleppo countryside when his home was destroyed in preventing between the regime and anti-Assad forces.
From there, he fled to Damascus after which Beirut earlier than flying to hitch his father in Saudi Arabia.
After a decade in exile – eight years in Saudi Arabia and two years learning in Egypt – Abu Taj moved again to Syria. He arrived simply greater than per week earlier than folks from everywhere in the nation gathered to have a good time the operation that stormed Damascus and compelled Bashar al-Assad to flee, within the early hours of the morning, to Moscow.
On the final Friday earlier than the anniversary, Abu Taj prayed on the Umayyad Mosque earlier than coming right down to Damascus’s most important assembly level to see the festivities.
“The tradition of the nation is now for the folks,” he informed Al Jazeera, overjoyed by the path the nation goes.
Exhalation
A yr in the past, the reign of the al-Assad regime ended.
With it fell a brutal police state, infamous for its use of torture and disappearance.
For many in Syria, the regime’s collapse introduced with it an exhalation – the primary in many years since Bashar’s father Hafez got here to energy in 1970.
The early days following the liberation had been marked by elation in lots of components of Syria, but in addition by concern over what was to return.
Early predictions appeared to the examples of Iraq after the US invasion or Libya after the autumn of the Gaddafi regime.
Few anticipated that the extreme US sanctions on Syria can be eliminated, particularly with Ahmed al-Sharaa, a person as soon as with a US ransom on his head, main the brand new authorities.
Tragedy did, nevertheless, comply with when widespread sectarian violence came about alongside the Syrian coast in March and once more in Suwayda in July.
In each situations, forces stated to be aligned with the Syrian authorities infected tensions, with revenge killings and sectarian concentrating on of minorities.
Another incident threatened to destabilise Homs, Syria’s third largest metropolis, final month, earlier than the authorities intervened to calm the scenario.
Green, white and black
But just a few days earlier than plenty descend on Umayyad Square for a big celebration, it’s clear how significant eradicating the regime was to so many Syrians.
Across town, the inexperienced, white and black flag is on ubiquitous show. Outside the Umayyad Mosque, youngsters’s faces are painted with the vertical inexperienced, white and black blocks, whereas in Marjeh Square, locals unpacked a bag of flags to promote or distribute.
Omran, a 22-year-old from Deir Az Zor in Syria’s northeast, sat smoking hookah in Marjeh Square along with his youthful brother, Bahaeddine, and his mom. He lately returned to Syria from Lebanon and stated he hadn’t seen his mom in 9 years.
He stated he plans to go to Umayyad Square on December 8 to take part within the celebrations along with his mom and his youthful brother. “We will all be so completely happy, thank God,” he stated.
While a lot of the metropolis is decked out in flags and decorations, Umayyad Square is the place the center of the celebration will happen.
Celebrations began Friday afternoon as hundreds of younger women and men in minivans or on scooters headed to town’s historic roundabout, the place the wreckage from an Israeli strike on the Ministry of Defence in July continues to be seen.
Hope
Abdelaziz al-Omari, 21, from the Palestinian camp of Yarmouk, stood subsequent to 2 pals within the roundabout. He waved an extended pole holding the Syrian and Palestinian flags.
“We got here right here in the present day to have a good time the anniversary of the liberation,” he informed Al Jazeera.
“We had been oppressed, however now our unhappiness has been launched.”
The celebrations carried on – with automobiles honking and fireworks exploding – till the early hours of Saturday morning.
On Saturday afternoon, thunderstorms and showers poured down on Damascus. Rain is predicted for Sunday as nicely, however it’s anticipated to clear by Monday for the day of the anniversary itself.
Many in Syria will probably be in attendance, carrying the recollections of the years of hardship below al-Assad nonetheless recent of their minds, and hopes that the longer term may be slightly bit higher of their hearts.
Standing in Umayyad Square on Friday, Rahma al-Taha, a lawyer, stated the early days following liberation lacked safety, however that slowly, over the past yr, the scenario had been bettering.
“Everything is best, and each month we’re seeing new issues,” she stated, expressing a sense that many Syrians informed Al Jazeera hadn’t existed through the days of the al-Assad regime.
“There is hope.”
