This aerial view shows people celebrating the ouster of Syria's president Bashar Al Assad near the landmark Damascus Sword sculpture at the Umayyad Square in central Damascus on December 13, 2024. (Photo by Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP)
Damascus: Thousands of Syrians gathered in squares and public spaces across various cities to celebrate the fall of Bashar al Assad's regime.
Ahead of Friday prayers, crowds of Syrians gathered in the courtyard of Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, with men, women, and children coming together in a rare sight in the heart of the Syrian capital.
Children pose with independence-era Syrian flags during a celebration of the ouster of president Bashar Al Assad at the Umayyad Square in central Damascus on December 13, 2024. (Photo by Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP)
The protesters waved the independence flag, used by the Syrian opposition since 2011, chanting slogans calling for Syrian unity.
Meanwhile, Syrian military operations administration announced that security forces would deploy heavily during the protests to ensure the safety of participants. It also stated that public security would take firm action against anyone found responsible for gunfire during the demonstrations.
The administration urged peaceful conduct during the protests to safeguard everyones safety.
This combination of pictures created on December 13, 2024 shows (left) young Syrian members of the scout movement marching with the national flag during a celebration of Evacuation Day, commemorating independence from the French mandate in 1946, in Damascus on April 17, 2019; and (left) an aerial view showing crowds holding a giant independence-era flag, used by the opposition since the uprising began in 2011, during celebrations of the ouster of president Bashar Al Assad in Damascus on December 13, 2024. (Photo by Louai Beshara and Omar Haj Kadour / AFP)
