Syrian Red Crescent photographed at pro-regime event

CONTROVERSIAL CRESCENT: Syrian Red Crescent representatives celebrate the one-year anniversary of the regime takeover over of al-Nabek in the Qalamoun region with members of the National Defense Force (shabiha) on Wednesday.

The National Defense Force’s flag is visible above the female Syrian Red Crescent worker showing the victory sign.

One media activist expressed his surprise at the photo in comments made on Syria Reporter’s Facebook page, which originally uploaded the photo. The page hosts a network of opposition activists.

“It’s not strange that the shabiha and Hezbollah and supporters of the regime would celebrate at this event—but how could the Red Crescent celebrate, since they are an independent international organization interested only in humanitarian work!!” the activist wrote.

The director of the pro-opposition Syria News Forum, another opposition group, responded to the above commentator on the page by writing:

“The celebration on the part of Red Crescent members is individual behavior—the behavior of Red Crescent members is dependent on the state of the area they’re located in…in Douma, and other opposition-held areas, Red Crescent members were very involved in aiding the injured, and still are.”

The regime took over Nabek, a city that belongs administratively to Outer Damascus, on December 10, 2013.

-December 11, 2014

–Photo courtesy of Syrian Reporter

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