Syrians will mark the first anniversary of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad and his iron-fisted rule today, as the fractured nation struggles to find stability and recover after years of war.
Official celebrations are planned for the central Umayyad Square in Damascus, which has already been packed with jubilant gatherings, and elsewhere around the country.
Assad fled Syria for Russia a year ago as rebels commanded by Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, seized Damascus, toppling him more than 13 years into the war that spiraled out of an uprising against his rule.
Celebrations have been underway in some parts of Syria for several days: thousands of people filled the streets of Hama on Friday, waving Syria’s new flag as they marked the day insurgents led by Sharaa’s Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group captured the city during their rapid march to Damascus.
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