The revolutionary movement once again flared up in Dara’a province with fresh protests in central Dara’a city and other parts of the province despite the Assad regime’s tightening of its grip on the province after it fully recaptured the region several months ago.
Anti-regime graffiti was scrawled on the walls of one of the Assad regime’s intelligence branches in the town of al-Harak in eastern rural Dara’a on Friday. Local activists said that unidentified people had scrawled slogans calling for the overthrow of the regime and demanding the release of detainees.
In central Dara’a city, meanwhile, dozens of young people gathered in the courtyard of the famous Omari Mosque, one of the symbols of the Syrian Revolution in the province. The protestors condemned the Assad regime’s repressive practices and demanded the release of all detainees in its prisons.
“Anti-regime demonstrations in Dara’a are coming back from the rubble and destruction to make the voice of the Syrian people heard to the whole world,” said Nasr Hariri, Head of the Syrian Negotiations Commission. “The demonstrators demanded the release of detainees; denounced the so-called reconciliation agreements, and reiterated their demands for a genuine political transition.”
The demonstrators held a sign that read “we denounce any form of agreement with the regime.” They also denounced residents of Dara’a who joined the ranks of the Assad forces. They held a placard that read “our sons are honorable. Those who joined the ranks of the regime do not belong to us.”
Observers said that Friday’s demonstrations will have consequences in the coming days as they will likely cause a change to the scene in the province which produced the first spark of the Syrian revolution in 2011.
Over the past several months, the Assad regime has carried out large-scale arrests targeting dozens of former Free Syrian Army fighters and workers in the institutions of the revolution despite their acceptance of the regime’s offer for so-called reconciliation deals. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
