Syrians and Lebanese celebrating the fall of the Assad regime on Dec. 8, 2024, in Tripoli, northern Lebanon. (Credit: Ibrahim Chalhoub/AFP)
As soon as Homs’ full control by rebel forces was announced, hundreds of Lebanese and Syrian nationals rushed to the streets to celebrate Bashar al-Assad’s fall. Syrian oppositionists in the predominantly Christian and Sunni areas expressed joy, distributing sweets, waving the flag of the Syrian opposition and singing its songs, honking car horns and setting off fireworks. From Tripoli to Saida, and several localities in Akkar, Chouf, the Bekaa Valley, Mount Lebanon and Beirut, the overthrow of the regime that had held sway there for decades was majorly celebrated. These jubilant scenes, similar to those seen in Aleppo, Hama, Homs and Damascus, raised the fear that old resentments could be awakened, as the Syrian issue and the country’s relationship with the regime have always divided the Lebanese.In Tripoli, where bloody clashes...
As soon as Homs’ full control by rebel forces was announced, hundreds of Lebanese and Syrian nationals rushed to the streets to celebrate Bashar al-Assad’s fall. Syrian oppositionists in the predominantly Christian and Sunni areas expressed joy, distributing sweets, waving the flag of the Syrian opposition and singing its songs, honking car horns and setting off fireworks. From Tripoli to Saida, and several localities in Akkar, Chouf, the Bekaa Valley, Mount Lebanon and Beirut, the overthrow of the regime that had held sway there for decades was majorly celebrated. These jubilant scenes, similar to those seen in Aleppo, Hama, Homs and Damascus, raised the fear that old resentments could be awakened, as the Syrian issue and the country’s relationship with the regime have always divided the Lebanese.In Tripoli, where bloody...