Syrians on the other side of Germany are happy with the fall of the despised leader al-Assad

German Syrians have taken to the streets in their thousands over the weekend to celebrate the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad, who was brutally attacked by civilians that sent hundreds of thousands to Europe seeking safety.

When the country’s civil war broke out in 2015, Germany accepted 890,000 Syrian refugees under the Willkommenskultur (“welcome culture”) immigration policy led by Chancellor Angela Merkel.

About 10 years later, the German police counted thousands who joined the march to celebrate al-Assad being expelled from Damascus – 11,000 in the city of Essen, 6,000 in Munich, 5,000 in Berlin, 3,000 in Mainz and thousands in cities like Hamburg, Nuremberg. , Hamm, Wuppertal, Düsseldorf and Dortmund on Sunday.

In Berlin’s Kreuzberg district, home to many Middle Eastern migrants, thousands waved guns and waved Syrian flags – many with “Free Syria” written on them.

Last night, as news of Damascus falling to rebels broke out, wild celebrations broke out in the nearby district of Neukölln, home to many migrants and Syrian shops and restaurants.

The same area has seen repeated protests against Israel’s bombing of Gaza in recent months, many resulting in clashes between police and Palestinian protesters. The police reported that there were no major incidents over the weekend, however.

Meanwhile in Hamburg, where about 1,000 people celebrated Syria’s change of power at the train station in the north of the city, a young Syrian said he had dreamed of this day for a long time, the day he would be able to return to his homeland.

Another Syrian, who had come to the meeting with his 11-year-old son, said he saw his son’s future in Germany. “Everything in Syria was destroyed by Al-Assad,” the man said. Others said they want to wait to see how things will turn out in Syria.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also welcomed the end of Al-Assad’s regime in Syria, pointing to the brutal oppression of his own people and the countless deaths he caused in his wake, driving many Syrians to Germany.

“The people of Syria have faced terrible problems. The end of Assad’s rule in Syria is therefore good news.” It is now important that law and order be restored quickly in Syria, he said.

Berlin’s Senator for Integration, Cansel Kiziltepe, told the Berliner Morgenpost newspaper that they are “happy with the people out on the streets of Berlin celebrating freedom and democracy.”

Leading voices in Germany’s Syrian community also joined the celebration, with human rights lawyer Michal Shammas calling on Facebook: “Let’s rebuild our Syria together.”

Since Saturday, Syrian opponents of the ousted regime have been releasing videos showing the release of prisoners. They are said to include political prisoners imprisoned under the regime of Bashar’s father Hafez al-Assad, who died in 2000.

Mr. Hassan al-Aswad of the Syrian Democratic Alliance has urged the Syrian people to forgive those who were in the old system but did not commit serious crimes.

A lawyer from the south-western Syrian city of Daraa, who lives in exile in Hanover, released a video in which he praised the fact that the rebels did not destroy government buildings during their march to Damascus.

“I have forgiven the person who has been living in my house since 2012.” He added: “May God forgive you. I want nothing from you.”

The Syrians are facing a big test, al-Aswad said. “War is not easy, but peace is more difficult,” he said. Those responsible must face a fair trial – something Syrians had never seen in the past, he added.