Idlib, Syria – 1000’s of individuals in opposition-held northwestern Syria have taken to the streets to mark the twelfth anniversary of fashionable protests calling for the downfall of President Bashar al-Assad and his authorities.

The demonstrations that started on March 15, 2011 swiftly took on a revolutionary nature. The rebellion, nevertheless, quickly morphed right into a full-on battle after a violent crackdown by safety forces, with overseas powers additionally drawn in.

Twelve years on, al-Assad nonetheless controls many of the nation, largely because of army backing from Iran and Russia, after tons of of 1000’s of individuals had been killed and thousands and thousands had been compelled from their houses.

The battle is at the moment largely frozen, though preventing continues intermittently, notably within the opposition-held northwest. The area is residence to greater than 4 million folks, most of them displaced from different components of Syria throughout earlier bouts of violence. Final month, it was hit by devastating earthquakes that killed 1000’s of individuals.

“We wish to ship a message from this demonstration to the entire world that we’re persevering with our revolution in opposition to the al-Assad regime, regardless of the makes an attempt of some international locations to normalise relations ” Salma Seif, a former detainee in a authorities jail, mentioned at Wednesday’s major protest in Idlib metropolis.

Seif’s feedback echoed the views of different demonstrators denounced efforts by some Arab international locations to facilitate Syria’s reintegration into the regional diplomatic fold within the wake of the February 6 earthquakes.

“We have now no different to overthrowing this regime in order that the detainees in its prisons can see the sunshine once more,” mentioned Seif, a displaced individual from the capital, Damascus.

A whole lot of civilians from cities and villages surrounding Idlib travelled to town to participate within the demonstration.

Ahmed Hayhan mentioned he had come from Jisr al-Shughour with others “to substantiate that we’re persevering with in opposition to the regime that introduced different battle criminals to Syria to contribute to our killing”.

Hayhan referred to as on the worldwide neighborhood to carry al-Assad accountable for the bloodshed.

“The world should take accountability in spite of everything this destruction and killing that occurred due to the legal Bashar al-Assad.”