Videos Show Assad Statues Being Toppled Across Syria

Videos have been posted online of Syrians apparently toppling statues from the Bashar al-Assad regime after rebels declared the country free of the family that has ruled it for the last 50 years.

Rebel troops have declared the capital city “free” of longtime ruleras government forces withdrew, with Assad fleeing the country via plane on Sunday morning. Syria’s army command has now notified officers that his 24-year rule has ended, an officer informed of the move told Reuters.

There have been widespread celebrations in recent days in Syria, with one video posted on X, formerly Twitter, by German news outlet DW News showing people in the city of Hama toppling a statue of Hafez al-Assad, former ruler and father of Bashar. The decapitated head of the statue is then seen in another clip being dragged along the road by a vehicle.

Other images from Hama show a man spraying bullets at a large banner hanging on the facade of a municipal building bearing the image of the deposed ruler.

Another clip, posted by Documenting Oppression Against Muslims, shows Syrian opposition fighters in an unknown location playing football with the head of a statue of Hafez al-Assad.

Middle East Eye has also obtained videos of similar statues being toppled in Latakia and the capital Damascus. According to the Reuters, thousands of Syrians, in cars and on foot, have congregated at a main square in the capital city.

Celebrations have taken place in several cities across the country in recent days as the Assad regime came to an abrupt and unprecedented end after just 11 days of a rebel offensive that has now seized control. The government collapsed early on Sunday morning.

Assad, who has ruled the war-torn country since 2000 following the death of his father, has fled the country for an unknown destination, Reuters has reported. The Syrian rebel coalition, which includes the Syrian National Army and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, said on Sunday it is continuing work to complete the transfer of power to a transitional governing body with full executive powers.

It said in a statement: “The great Syrian revolution has moved from the stage of struggle to overthrow the Assad regime to the struggle to build a Syria together that befits the sacrifices of its people.”

Syria’s Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, who was appointed in September 2024, said he is ready to hand over the government to the opposition in a peaceful transition.

“I am here in my home,” he said. “I have not left it and do not intend to leave, except in a peaceful manner that ensures the continued functioning of public institutions and state facilities, promoting security and reassurance for our fellow citizens.”

Assad’s exit marks a watershed moment in the embattled country’s history. Since civil war broke out in 2011 after Assad’s government responded with an iron fist to peaceful protests against his rule, more than half a million people have been killed and half of the country’s pre-war population of 23 million have been displaced.

“Today marks a watershed moment in Syria’s history—a nation that has endured nearly 14 years of relentless suffering and unspeakable loss,” Geir O. Pederson, the United Nations special envoy to Syria, said on Sunday.

“The challenges ahead remain immense and we hear those who are anxious and apprehensive. Yet this is a moment to embrace the possibility of renewal. The resilience of the Syrian people offers a path toward a united and peaceful Syria.”

The White House has said President Joe Biden and his team are “closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria and staying in constant touch with regional partners.”