Hope, flags, fireworks as Syria starts to celebrate a year without al-Assad

Damascus, Syria – Around Damascus’s Umayyad Square, children leaned retired the windows, waving Syria’s green, achromatic and achromatic emblem arsenic fireworks burst successful the sky.

December 8, the day of liberation for the superior and the state arsenic a whole, was 2 days away, but crowds had already begun to stitchery successful the square.

Nearby, lasting unsocial and watching the festivities, stood Abu Taj, 24. Ten years earlier, helium had near his location successful the Aleppo countryside erstwhile his location was destroyed successful warring betwixt the authorities and anti-Assad forces.

From there, helium fled to Damascus and past Beirut earlier flying to articulation his begetter successful Saudi Arabia.

After a decennary successful exile – 8 years successful Saudi Arabia and 2 years studying successful Egypt – Abu Taj moved backmost to Syria. He arrived conscionable much than a week earlier radical from each implicit the state gathered to observe the cognition that stormed Damascus and forced Bashar al-Assad to flee, successful the aboriginal hours of the morning, to Moscow.

On the past Friday earlier the anniversary, Abu Taj prayed astatine the Umayyad Mosque earlier coming down to Damascus’s main gathering constituent to spot the festivities.

“The civilization of the state is present for the people,” helium told Al Jazeera, overjoyed by the absorption the state is going.

Exhalation

A twelvemonth ago, the reign of the al-Assad authorities ended.

With it fell a brutal constabulary state, notorious for its usage of torture and disappearance.

For galore successful Syria, the regime’s illness brought with it an exhalation – the archetypal successful decades since Bashar’s begetter Hafez came to powerfulness successful 1970.

The aboriginal days pursuing the liberation were marked by elation successful galore parts of Syria, but besides by interest implicit what was to come.

Early predictions looked to the examples of Iraq aft the US penetration oregon Libya aft the autumn of the Gaddafi regime.

Few expected that the terrible US sanctions connected Syria would beryllium removed, particularly with Ahmed al-Sharaa, a antheral erstwhile with a US ransom connected his head, starring the caller government.

Celebrations successful Damascus of the archetypal day of Bashar al-Assad’s toppling began days ahead. Here, radical are retired celebrating successful the aboriginal hours of December 6, 2025 [Ghaith Alsayed/AP]

Tragedy did, however, travel erstwhile widespread sectarian violence took spot on the Syrian seashore successful March and again successful Suwayda successful July.

In some instances, forces said to beryllium aligned with the Syrian authorities inflamed tensions, with revenge killings and sectarian targeting of minorities.

Another incidental threatened to destabilise Homs, Syria’s 3rd largest city, past month, earlier the government intervened to calm the situation.

Green, achromatic and black

But a fewer days earlier masses descend connected Umayyad Square for a ample celebration, it is wide however meaningful removing the authorities was to truthful galore Syrians.

Across the city, the green, achromatic and achromatic emblem is connected ubiquitous display. Outside the Umayyad Mosque, children’s faces are painted with the vertical green, achromatic and achromatic blocks, portion successful Marjeh Square, locals unpacked a container of flags to merchantability oregon distribute.

Omran, a 22-year-old from Deir Az Zor successful Syria’s northeast, sat smoking hookah successful Marjeh Square with his younger brother, Bahaeddine, and his mother. He precocious returned to Syria from Lebanon and said helium hadn’t seen his parent successful 9 years.

He said helium plans to spell to Umayyad Square connected December 8 to enactment successful the celebrations with his parent and his younger brother. “We volition each beryllium truthful happy, convey God,” helium said.

While astir of the metropolis is decked retired successful flags and decorations, Umayyad Square is wherever the bosom of the solemnisation volition instrumentality place.

Celebrations started Friday day arsenic thousands of young men and women successful minivans oregon connected scooters headed to the city’s historical roundabout, wherever the wreckage from an Israeli onslaught connected the Ministry of Defence successful July is inactive visible.

Hope

Abdelaziz al-Omari, 21, from the Palestinian campy of Yarmouk, stood adjacent to 2 friends successful the roundabout. He waved a agelong rod holding the Syrian and Palestinian flags.

“We came present contiguous to observe the day of the liberation,” helium told Al Jazeera.

Syrians observe the day of al-Assad’s toppling successful Damascus successful the aboriginal hours of December 6, 2025 [Ghaith Alsayed/AP]

“We were oppressed, but present our sadness has been released.”

The celebrations carried connected – with cars honking and fireworks exploding – until the aboriginal hours of Saturday morning.

On Saturday afternoon, thunderstorms and showers poured down connected Damascus. Rain is predicted for Sunday arsenic well, but it is expected to wide by Monday for the time of the day itself.

Many successful Syria volition beryllium successful attendance, carrying the memories of the years of hardship nether al-Assad inactive caller successful their minds, and hopes that the aboriginal mightiness beryllium a small spot amended successful their hearts.

Standing successful Umayyad Square connected Friday, Rahma al-Taha, a lawyer, said the aboriginal days pursuing liberation lacked security, but that slowly, implicit the past year, the concern had been improving.

“Everything is better, and each period we’re seeing caller things,” she said, expressing a feeling that galore Syrians told Al Jazeera hadn’t existed during the days of the al-Assad regime.

“There is hope.”