A teenager makes the victory sign, standing in front of rebels affiliated with Hay'at Tahir al-Sham, on Dec. 11, 2024 in Damascus. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient-Le Jour)
Less than a week after the fall of the Assad regime, Damascus's main roads and working-class neighborhoods seem to have returned to ‘normal’ on Wednesday.In the most popular streets of the old souk, families stroll or do their shopping under the watchful eye of armed rebels. A few even ask to have their photo taken with the fighters, some of whom, relaxed despite their military gear, make the victory sign.In the large courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque, families bask in the warm sunlight, savoring a newfound freedom that seems almost unbelievable, after enduring decades of repression under the Assad family.“This is our first outing since the fall of the regime. We were afraid for the children,” explained a woman with two little boys, who wishes to remain anonymous.“We've been waiting a long time for this moment. We knew it would happen...
Less than a week after the fall of the Assad regime, Damascus's main roads and working-class neighborhoods seem to have returned to ‘normal’ on Wednesday.In the most popular streets of the old souk, families stroll or do their shopping under the watchful eye of armed rebels. A few even ask to have their photo taken with the fighters, some of whom, relaxed despite their military gear, make the victory sign.In the large courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque, families bask in the warm sunlight, savoring a newfound freedom that seems almost unbelievable, after enduring decades of repression under the Assad family.“This is our first outing since the fall of the regime. We were afraid for the children,” explained a woman with two little boys, who wishes to remain anonymous.“We've been waiting a long time for this moment. We knew it would...