Deraa, in southern Syria, has marked 15 years since the uprising against the regime of former president Bashar Al Assad, but residents said they are still seeking justice.
Hundreds gathered to commemorate the 2011 uprising, revisiting the early months of protests and the government crackdown that ignited the country’s civil war.
“We lived under oppression and tyranny and, when we triumphed, thank God, we returned life to the people,” said Alaa Qutaish Jawabra, whose brother was killed in the crackdown.
Deraa was one of the first places to witness demonstrations against the former regime. The protests were brutally suppressed and the death toll shocked the country. “Deraa, after 15 years, has a new voice, new people and a new life,” Mr Jawabra said. “You can feel the dignity is back.”
But while the Assad regime fell in December 2025, some say many of the protesters’ demands remain unmet. “We want justice for all people, justice for the detainees and justice for those killed,” said Lila Al Aswa.
US special envoy Tom Barrack acknowledged the occasion as he led a meeting on Syria at the UN Security Council. “We remember the courage of those who first marched peacefully in 2011, calling for dignity, reform and freedom on Syria’s Revolution Day,” he said in a post on X. “Their voices helped open the door to a new chapter for Syria. The United States honours the resilience of the Syrian people as they work towards a stable, unified and prosperous future.”
Mr Barrack said that, since President Ahmad Al Shara took power, Syria has undergone major changes. “We have witnessed the most significant transformations in Syria in decades – the collapse of the Assad regime, the emergence of a new government and unprecedented diplomatic breakthroughs,” he said.
“Syria has also rejected Tehran’s malign influence and expelled remnants of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Remarkably, a country that only two years ago was a cornerstone of Iran’s so-called axis of resistance has now condemned Iran’s dangerous and cowardly assault on other Arab countries.”
Mr Barrack added that Syria and Israel are taking steps to stabilise relations and move towards peace, with US support through a joint mechanism involving the countries. He also said that more than two million refugees and internally displaced people have returned home.
“We call on members of this council and all nations to support the Syrian government during its transition,” he added.
On Wednesday, Syria unveiled a US-backed plan to eliminate the remnants of the Assad-era chemical weapons programme – an effort aimed at closing one of the darkest chapters of the war. The initiative, announced on the sidelines of the UN in New York, brings together western governments including the US, Britain, France, Germany and Canada.
The plan will establish a joint task force to find, secure and dismantle what remains of Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile, much of which is believed to have been concealed under former Mr Al Assad's rule. For more than a decade, the chemical weapons programme has stood as a symbol of the war’s brutality.
