On the evening of Monday 8 December, hundreds gathered in Rusholme to celebrate the one-year anniversary of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s fall from power.
Fireworks lit up the sky and car horns could be heard along the Curry Mile as large crowds danced, played music, and proudly waved Syrian flags.
Buses were forced to divert due to the blockages on Wilmslow Road, but celebrators seemed undeterred: “Everyone here is happy for what has happened in Syria. The community here, you can see it now, it’s big and everyone here is very happy”, one attendee told The Mancunion.
“It’s liberation day,” another demonstrator added. “Everyone’s happy, everyone’s celebrating…it’s a good day to be alive.”
Demonstrations started at around 4pm, with the largest crowds present between 6pm and 8pm. Crowds continued to congregate on the Curry Mile until late at night.
Families and friends shared the joy and celebrations regardless of age. 14-year-old Syrian, Hamid, told The Mancunion that “Everybody is happy because Syria is free”.
“We are all happy that Bashar al-Assad is gone” added his younger brother, Ahmed.
“We are celebrating the freedom of Syria: this day last year, our criminal the President Bashar al-Assad ran away and left the country”.
Monday 8 December marked the one-year anniversary of the fall of Syrian ex-president Bashar al-Assad, who fled Damascus following a successful insurgency from rebelling armed forces. Assad’s regime was characterised as totalitarian and repressive, marked by a heavy crackdown of opposition and reported human rights abuses.
Local police forces were largely present to keep crowds to the pavements, with one officer describing the demonstrations as “people having fun and celebrating.”
No major offences were recorded, and aside from minor anti-social infractions, mostly car and firework-based, the celebrations were peaceful.
“We want people to see us as we are”, an attendee told The Mancunion. “We’re normal people, we’re nice people, we’re welcoming.”
Across the celebrations, the prevailing mood was one of hope for Syria’s future. While the country remains unstable, with reported human rights abuses still taking place, demonstrators described a country moving towards a better future: “There’s no oppression like there was in the past … you’d be pulled over and strip searched just for having a specific name”, a British-Syrian celebrator told us.
“Step by step, change is made.”
