Mass demonstrations swept across towns and villages of Syria’s north on Friday as president of the Syrian Coalition Abdurrahman Mustafa said that the demonstrations “have revived the real spirit of the revolution and strengthened our commitment to our national goals.”
Demonstrators once again reaffirmed their demands and that they will not back down until the overthrow of the Assad regime. Mustafa pointed out that such demonstrations promote dialogue and acceptance of differences in opinion. The slogans that were chanted during these demonstrations will shape the future of Syria that is based on freedom, dignity, justice and equality, he added.
Head of the Syrian Interim Government (SIG), Jawad Abu Hatab, participated in the demonstrations that took place in western rural Aleppo along with a number of SIG’s ministers. Abu Hatab saluted the participants as he stressed that the return of mass demonstrations to Syria’s streets “provided further evidence of the Syrian people’s steadfastness and their insistence upon regaining their rights.” He added that the forces of the revolution and the Syrian opposition wanted to send a message to the international community that “we are holding firm against the tyrannical Assad regime and its backers.”
Demonstrators held signs that read “it is the great Syria, not Assad’s Syria,” which were the last words of the late Syrian actress Mai Skaf before she passed away. Demonstrators called for the release of all detainees in the prisons of the Assad regime and chanted slogans expressing their solidarity with the people who were kidnapped by the ISIS extremist group in Swaida province.
Activists pointed out that more people participated in the Friday demonstrations after the return of thousands of displaced persons to their homes following the agreement on Idlib. The agreement thwarted plans by the Assad regime and its allies to displace civilians from Idlib province and change the demographic landscape in the country. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
