[Tens of thousands of people gathered at Umayyad Square in central Damascus, Syria, to celebrate the exit of President Bashar al-Assad. The crowd, filled with people of all ages, waved the three-starred flag of the Syrian Arab Republic and chanted slogans, including “The donkey is gone! Donkey! Donkey!”
Many attendees had traveled from across the country to witness the jubilations, and the atmosphere was filled with joy and relief. Esraa Alsliman, a student, said, “I always thought that I am going to die, and my children are going to die, and many more generations will die and he will still be here. I thought it will never end.”
Families brought their children to the square, with little ones wearing flags painted on their cheeks. The elderly and young students alike joined in the celebrations, with women dressed in conservative Muslim fashion celebrating alongside those wearing trendy western clothes.
The crowd was filled with emotions, with many still in disbelief that the deposed president’s pejorative nickname could be shouted out loud in the open. Fatima Baghdadi, an 80-year-old who had lived most of her adult life under the regime, said, “I was 30 when the big donkey came into power. For 50 years, we were squeezed, and I was praying all the time, asking God to get rid of him. And now he had. We can breathe again.”
Despite the overwhelming joy, there were also signs of the country’s current fragility. The rebel coalition that has taken over Syria is made up of many groups with varying ideologies and goals, and nobody seems to know for sure what will happen next.
As the sun set on Damascus, the crowd continued to dance, clap, and chant, celebrating the moment many thought would never come.
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