In the streets of the Syrian capital, for hours, bullets continued to be fired in joy after the opposition armed factions announced their entry into Damascus and the escape of Bashar al-Assad. Takbirs, chants and ululations rang out from the mosques from everywhere.
Amer Batha told Agence France-Presse: “We have waited a long time for this day… We begin a new history for Syria.” Then he added, after bursting into tears, “I can’t believe I’m living this moment.”
With the advent of the dawn call to prayer, Eid takbirs rang out from a number of mosques in the capital: “God is great, God is great, God is great, and praise be to God.” God is great, great. Thank God very much.”
Calls were also issued from mosques for people to stay in their homes and not go out into the street. Despite this, dozens rushed towards Umayyad Square in the Syrian capital to celebrate, according to witnesses.
In a park in the commercial center of the capital, dozens of residents gathered celebrating the fall of Assad, chanting “God is great.”
Then they toppled a statue in the place of former President Hafez al-Assad, father of Bashar al-Assad, smashed it with sticks, stood on it and chanted, raising signs of victory.
In some streets, armed fighters were seen firing gunshots into the air and chanting: “Syria is ours and it does not belong to the Assad family,” referring to the Assad family that ruled Syria for more than fifty years.
Residents told Agence France-Presse that they saw dozens of people without military uniforms being taken out of the General Staff building in Umayyad Square.
The General Authority for Radio and Television building was completely emptied of employees, according to a former TV employee who still has ties to the TV.
End chapter
In the old neighborhoods of the capital, young people who clearly appeared to be opponents were chanting, “The Syrian people are one,” in a message of reassurance to the minorities living there.
Women ululated from the balconies of houses in the Al-Shaghour neighborhood. While some of them sprinkled rice on gunmen who were walking around and shooting in the air.
Elham Al-Basatneh (50 years old) said from the balcony of her house: “I cannot believe that I will not be afraid after today. Today’s joy is great and will not be complete unless the criminal is held accountable.”
The sounds of five huge explosions were heard in the capital, the source of which was unknown. It was likely caused by artillery shelling or explosions in ammunition depots, according to what was reported by a fugitive soldier who refused to reveal his identity.
Al-Askari, who serves in one of the security branches, said: “Our direct superior asked us to evacuate and go to our homes, so we knew that everything was over.”
On the Facebook platform, Syrian media figures, government employees, and even members of the People’s Assembly replaced their personal photos with an image of the flag used by the opposition.
Wadah Abd Rabbo, editor-in-chief of “Al-Watan” newspaper, which was affiliated with the authorities, wrote, “The Syrian media and media figures are not at fault. They and we were with them, only implementing instructions and publishing the news they sent us.”
New stage
The well-known Syrian actor Ayman Zidane, for his part, wrote on Facebook: “I say it with my mouth full how delusional I was. Perhaps we were prisoners of a culture of fear, or perhaps we were afraid of change because we thought that would lead to blood and chaos.”
Zidane continued: “But here we are entering a new phase with men whose nobility astonished us in spreading the culture of tolerance and the desire to restore the unity of the Syrian people.”
During its rule, the Baath Party regime restricted freedoms. Among them is freedom of the media, as only the official media or those close to the regime were allowed to work.
Through the “Telegram” application, the armed opposition factions were announcing, “The tyrant Bashar al-Assad has fled.”
On the way, fighters in military uniform and weapons were kissing the ground and praying, or gathering and taking pictures. While the sound of bullets being fired in the air does not subside from everywhere.
