Syria: “Nobody slept” – how the news of Bashar al-Assad’s fall spread

Residents of Damascus reported eagerly awaiting news of what happened in the Syrian capital overnight.

After several hours of reports of rebels getting closer, the armed forces declared Damascus “free” from long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in the early hours of Sunday.

Unconfirmed videos circulating on social media show people cheering in the streets and greeting the rebel fighters, as well as inmates being freed from the notorious Saydnaya prison.

“No one slept in Syria last night… no Syrian abroad slept,” said Rania Kataf, who runs the Facebook page “Humans of Damascus.”

“The whole community was holding their phones waiting for the final news.

“How do I feel? Overwhelmed. We all felt like we had been underwater for literally thirteen years and we were all just coming up for air.”

“And I know there are so many people much older than me who have been through too much.”

She said she had “mixed emotions” since the rebel groups’ offensive began but was no longer afraid.

In the past, she said, she was “afraid to share an opinion, I was so afraid to even put a like and express my heart to someone in the opposition.

Another Damascus resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told the BBC: “For the first time there is a real feeling of freedom.”

He described celebrations in the streets and in Umayyad Square, a landmark in the heart of Damascus and home to key government agencies including the Defense Ministry and the Syrian Armed Forces.

“In the central Umayyad Square, people celebrate so peacefully. They shoot fireworks. Yes, we hear some shots, but it’s mostly fireworks,” the resident said.

“What we feel is really similar to what we felt during the revolution when it started in 2011. This is the continuation of a dream that began this year.”

He said Syrians were afraid and worried about the future, but “today the entire Syrian people will only celebrate.”

Additional reporting by Wietske Burema