Chaos in Essen: 11,000 Celebrate of Assad in Syria!

Chaos in Essen: 11,000 Celebrate of Assad in Syria!

Essen, Deutschland - It was a Sunday in Essen how you rarely experience it! When the news circulated that Bashar al-Assad was no longer in power, the otherwise tranquil city center turned into a raging sea full of people. Around 11,000 Syrians, most of the region, flocked to Jakob-Funke-Platz to celebrate the historical moment. Originally, only 300 participants had been expected, but there were considerably more to express their joy. Even Kettwiger Strasse and the main train station were conquered by the crowd. And in the middle of these party -loving masses? The Essen Christmas market, which suddenly became a festive stage. Also apollo news reported of the surprising celebration!

not everything went smoothly. The Essen police described the action as "emotionally and exuberant", but had to determine violations of public order. Fireworks and weapons of fire were used, which reinforced the traffic chaos. The demonstration turned into a spectacle of unexpected dimensions, supported by honking autocorsos, which completely brought traffic to a standstill in phases. The city of Essen became the center of a national, even international event, since demonstrators also arrived from the Netherlands.

euphoria and concerns in North Rhine-Westphalia

But the cheers were not limited to food. All of North Rhine-Westphalia experienced similar events: hundreds of people gathered in cities such as Wuppertal, Bonn and Münster. The joy was also noticeable in other cities such as Düsseldorf and Aachens. Only in Cologne, ironically one of the largest cities in the country, did it remain calm. Already the day before, a thousand people of Syrian descent gathered in Dortmund. No wonder, because around 16,000 Syrian people live in Essen alone, so that Assad's fall is perceived by them as a personal triumph.

between hope and uncertainty

While there is now hope for freedom and democracy in Syria, many Syrians have doubts in Germany. The concern to have to return to their homeland after the end of the battles is difficult. Essraa, one of the demonstrators, wondered Bang: "It can't be that the Germans can throw us out now?" Her fear is noticeable and it is a fear that many share. Also süddeutsche Zeitung Young people like Suha, Essraa and Sara, who fluctuate between hope and fear: on one side of the freedom celebrations, on the other the fear of uncertain.

So there are great joys and considerable concerns for the Syrians in Essen and all of Germany close to each other. At the same time, what sounds like a clear reason leaves many questions open and ensures new challenges. A fascinating, but also scary time for the Syrian community in Germany.