The Manchester Syrian community protested in Piccadilly Gardens on 19 August. The theme of the protest was 'The Assad Regime, not ISIS, is the Greatest Threat to Syrians'. We affirmed that while ISIS has killed thousands of innocent Syrian civilians and is a terrorist organisation which we condemn, the biggest threat to the civilian population in Syria is the Assad regime. This regime:
· Is responsible for 85% of the total casualties in Syria
· Continues to use airstrikes, chemical weapons, barrel bombs, and more in an indiscriminate manner against civilian areas
· Commits war crimes and crimes against humanity against its civilian population in order to maintain its hold on power
The Syrian people are screaming: Our number one enemy is Assad. Help us to get rid of him!
This protest was featured on Orient News, including interviews with several members of RR and the wider Syrian community.
The protest video can also be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJkA5juP6PM&feature=youtu.be
