The Syrian opposition flag was raised at the Syrian embassy in Athens on Sunday, hours after Islamist-led rebels claimed to have taken control of Damascus, marking the end of President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
Greek state news agency ANA reported that at least three men entered the embassy and hoisted the opposition flag, which was seen hanging from the building’s roof. Police quickly arrived on the scene, detaining the three individuals.
One man was seen on an embassy balcony holding a portrait of Assad while shouting “dictator.”
Syrians who had fled to Greece following the rise of Assad’s regime in 1970 gathered at the embassy to celebrate.
“The dictator has fled. It’s over… A new dawn rises for Syria,” said Maarouf Alobeid, a cardiologist who has lived in Greece for four decades. “I came running from my home… The thirst of the Syrian people for freedom and democracy cannot be described,” he added.
“Twenty-four million Syrians didn’t sleep all night,” said Nader Halbouni, a senior official in the Syrian community in Greece.
A larger gathering of Syrians in Greece was planned for later in the day.
In 2015, tens of thousands of Syrians arrived in Greece during the mass migration wave, many seeking to reach Germany and other wealthier European Union countries. According to the Greek migration ministry, over 15,000 Syrians currently hold residence permits in Greece.
AFP
