Thousands of protesters in war-torn Syria’s rebel enclave of Idlib on Tuesday marked 11 years since the start of an anti-government uprising, buoyed by the global outcry over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Gathered on the main square in the northwestern city of Idlib, more than 5,000 people took part in one of the largest rallies the beleaguered region has seen in months.
Many of the demonstrators hoped the war launched by the Syrian government’s main backer Russia in Ukraine would rekindle some interest in their cause.
“What is happening in Ukraine today is similar to the situation here; the enemy is the same and the goal is the same,” protester Radwan Atrash told AFP.
Thousands of demonstrators marked the date in other cities across rebel-held northern Syria. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s grip on power held by a thread after a nationwide uprising that erupted on March 15, 2011 escalated into a fully-fledged civil war.—Agencies
