Thousands in Syria’s northwest mark 13 years since uprising
Syrians protested in Idlib to mark 13 years since a pro-democracy uprising that was crushed, leading to civil war
Idlib – Thousands took to the streets of Syria’s rebel-held northwest on Friday to mark 13 years since pro-democracy protests swept the country, chanting against President Bashar al-Assad and the region’s jihadist rulers.
The government’s brutal suppression of the 2011 uprising triggered a civil war that killed more than half a million people, drew in foreign armies and jihadists, and divided the country.
Former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) now controls a significant portion of Idlib province as well as surrounding areas, where hundreds have taken to the streets in recent weeks against HTS leader Abu Mohamed al-Jolani, with anger simmering after the death of a man in the group’s custody.
Hundreds of protesters carried the Syrian rebels’ three-starred flag in the provincial capital of Idlib city, with many brandishing placards that read “Down with Jolani… Assad”.
35-year-old protester Mohammed Harnoush said the uprising’s anniversary was a reminder that “our revolution is against everyone… whether it is Bashar al-Assad or Jolani”.
“This people shall not be ruled by iron and fire,” he said, speaking in the city’s main square.
The Idlib region hosts about three million people, many of whom fled other parts of the country held or recaptured by the Russian and Iranian-backed Assad government.
Khalidia Agha, 72, was among hundreds in Idlib city chanting against Jolani and Assad.
She said government forces killed one of her sons, while two others disappeared into HTS prisons six years ago.
She has not heard from them since.
“I am protesting today because my children are jailed… All I ask for is to see them and know where they are,” she said, her eyes filling with tears.
Syria’s war has displaced 7.2 million people internally while pushing millions more to flee the country.
The UN has said that this year 16.7 million people in Syria will require some type of humanitarian assistance or protection — the largest number since the beginning of the crisis in 2011.
About 90 percent of Syrians live in poverty, according to the UN. One of its humanitarian officials, David Carden, warned last week of funding challenges that could affect aid deliveries and services.
Almost 7.5 million children in Syria will need humanitarian assistance in 2024, more than at any other time during the conflict, according to the UN child welfare agency UNICEF.