New Delhi:
Following a regime change in Syria and the departure of President Bashar Al Assad, rebel forces took control of the country. In a symbolic gesture of resistance, protesters pulled down statues of his father and former President Hafez Al-Assad in and around the capital, welcoming the rebel fighters.
More history in the making – Syrians in Jaramana, a SE #Damascus suburb, tear down the Hafez al-#Assad statue.
The end is near. pic.twitter.com/ySTpVKHImo
— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) December 7, 2024
Hafez Al-Assad came to power through a coup in 1970, serving as Prime Minister before becoming President until his death in 2000. During his three-decade rule, Syria experienced stability and became a significant player in the Middle East. His son, Bashar Al Assad, took over and ruled for more than two decades until his regime was overthrown by an armed rebellion.
This is the head of a statue of Hafez Al-Assad. The person who massacred their families in the 80s, the former dictator and the father of the current dictator. Syrians will never stop fighting until freedom is achieved. This is #Hama pic.twitter.com/wxQJTGwlyj
— Omar Alshogre | عمر الشغري (@omarAlshogre) December 6, 2024
The change in regime in Syria led to dramatic scenes in the streets of Damascus and other cities. In a significant moment, a statue of former President Hafez al-Assad was toppled in Hama, a city over 200 km from the capital. Cheers of ‘Allahu Akbar’ filled the air as the statue was destroyed. Video footage captured a vehicle dragging the decapitated head of the statue through the streets as onlookers kicked it. In Latakia, another statue of the former President was brought down as protesters celebrated and documented the event on their phones.
The toppling of statues is a common symbolic act during regime changes across the globe. Similar incidents occurred when the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh was ousted earlier this year, resulting in the vandalism of statues of the country’s first president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The scenes in Syria also evoke memories of the 2003 event when a US armoured vehicle destroyed a statue of former dictator Saddam Hussein on the day Baghdad fell.
The rebellion against Bashar Al Assad began in 2011 following the suppression of peaceful anti-government protests. The movement evolved into a complex conflict involving foreign powers, resulting in the loss of half a million lives and the displacement of many more.
