Last Friday, in Umayyad Square in central Damascus, an event of unprecedented scale took place. Tens of thousands of people began an unforgettable celebration, celebrating a moment many thought would never come to pass: the ouster of brutal dictator Bashar al-Assad.
For Esraa Alsliman, a student at the square, the celebration was like a dream come true. “I always thought I would die, my children would die, entire generations would disappear and he would still be here. I thought it would never end,” she told CNN.
Families brought their children with flags painted on their cheeks. Young students were accompanied by older people. Conservatively dressed women rubbed shoulders with those in fashionable Western outfits. Many traveled across the country to attend the festivities.
Thousands of people waved the flag in opposition to that of the Syrian regime: a symbol used during the French term and replaced by a modified version under Assad. “I truly believe that at this moment, we will support each other, stay together and reach the heights. Syria will regain its place of honor in the world,” Alsliman said emotionally.
After half a century of unchallenged rule, the Assad family was ousted from power in Syria. Rebels proclaimed the liberation of Damascus in a video statement broadcast on state television, forcing the Syrian president to flee to Russia.
Last month, thousands of people gathered in Umayyad Square, the same day that rebel leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani declared a “victory for the entire Islamic nation.” Friday prayers, considered the climax of the Islamic week, were the first since the fall of the Assad regime. Syria’s interim Prime Minister Mohamed Al-Bashir called the moment “the birth of a nation.”
Despite the widespread joy, there were also signs of the country’s fragility. The rebel coalition that has taken control of Syria is made up of groups with varying ideologies and goals. No one knows exactly what will happen next.
Gunmen joined in the celebrations, some allowing excited children to pose with their Kalashnikovs, with the children flashing broad smiles and victory signs for the cameras.
The momentous occasion was tinged with tension. Celebratory gunfire mingled with the atmosphere. At one point, members of the crowd appeared to be chasing an individual, before the jubilation took over again, with dancing, clapping and singing.
The harrowing testimonies of people like Fatima Baghdadi, 80, reflect decades of repression under the Assad regime. Having lost a son and a crippled grandson in the war, she says: “I was 30 years old when the donkey came to power. For 50 years we were oppressed, and I prayed constantly, asking God to rid us of it. And now it is done. We can finally breathe.”
In conclusion, Umayyad Square in Damascus was the setting for a historic event, marking the end of a tumultuous era in Syria. The challenges ahead are many, but the hope and determination of the Syrian people in this era of transition are palpable and point to a bright future.