Douma residents mark 4th anniversary of uprising with peaceful protest

PEACE OUT: Several hundred civilians launched a peaceful protest on Wednesday against the Syrian regime in Douma, the political capital of Syria’s armed opposition in East Ghouta, in commemoration of the fourth anniversary of the country’s uprising.

“The purpose of reverting back to peaceful protests is to expose the lies being told by regime media outlets which claim that all those who oppose Assad are terrorists,” Abu Amad al-Munashid, of the organizers of the protest told Syria Direct on Thursday.

“The protest was not organized or attended by members of any armed groups operating in the area.”

“Protestors gathered in the same square they had four years ago when the revolution first began,” Elias al-Hajiri, a civil activist in Douma, told Syria Direct on Thursday. “They wanted to send a message that they’re still here despite the destruction they’ve witnessed.”

Douma has been under complete regime encirclement since late 2014, and was the target of an intense regime air campaign earlier this week, following calls made in early February by Zahran Aloush, leader of Jaish al-Islam which controls Douma, that the group would target regime forces in Damascus.

The Unified Medical Office of Douma received 270 injured persons in their facilities on March 14 and 15, 70 of whom required surgery performed under anesthesia, Dr. Abu Adnan, spokesman of the Medical Office told Syria Direct on Thursday.

Douma and East Ghouta are located in the Outer Damascus province, which has witnessed at least 26,000 deaths since the Syrian conflict began in March 2011, the most out of any province in the country, according to the pro-opposition Syrian Center for Statistics and Research.

-March 19, 2015

-Photo courtesy of SR2011

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