Celebration mood in Halle: Syrians celebrate the fall of dictator Assad!

Celebration mood in Halle: Syrians celebrate the fall of dictator Assad!

Bashar al-Assad's rule in Syria, which lasted almost 25 years, has now come to a dramatic end. How zeit.de reported that Islamist fighters from the Hajat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militia broke into the presidential palace on Sunday and announced the dictator's overthrow. As a result of the chaotic situation, Assad fled, impacting many Syrians who showed their joy at the end of his rule in various cities, including Halle in Germany. The police reported celebrations and car parades, especially in Halle-Neustadt and Merseburg, where numerous Syrian citizens danced and gathered in celebration.

Assad's dictatorship and its consequences

Assad's rule has been accompanied by a host of atrocities and humanitarian crises that have claimed more than 500,000 lives and forced millions to flee their homes dubisthalle.de notes. Since the beginning of the civil war in 2011, Assad has used, among other things, poison gas against his own population and brutally attacked opposition members. Although he was officially re-elected in May 2021 with 95 percent of the vote, he remained internationally ostracized and blamed for the destruction and suffering that has affected more than half of the Syrian population. The withdrawal that has now been announced represents a turning point in Syrian history, as it also significantly changes the power structure in the country.

In the midst of these upheavals, the celebrations among Syrian refugees in Germany show how much people retain hope for freedom and peace in their own country. The current power vacuum and collapse of the Assad government leaves room for new developments as Islamist fighters take control of Syria. In the coming days it remains to be seen what political and social changes await the country's population and how these will also affect the diaspora.