With Fireworks and Parades, Syrians Celebrate Anniversary of al-Assad’s Fall

Fireworks lit the sky and music blared on Monday in the center of Syria’s capital, Damascus, as tens of thousands of people celebrated the first anniversary of the fall of the dictator Bashar al-Assad and the end of his family’s decades-long tyrannical rule.

The festivities come as the country grapples with sectarian violence, deep economic challenges and security gaps that hinder any meaningful recovery. Its new leaders are also contending with how to build institutions that govern equitably for Syria’s estimated 25 million people, while balancing competing regional interests and navigating longstanding social, political and religious divisions.

But a year after Mr. al-Assad was overthrown, many Syrians united in joy in their newfound freedom.

Beginning at dawn, thousands of people thronged the historic Umayyad Mosque in Damascus as the call to prayer rang out through the cold, still air. Among them was President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who arrived before sunrise. Billboards, with slogans like “One country, one people” and “The dark era is over,” lined the streets, reminding people of what they had endured — and what they were now celebrating. Hours later, a military parade featuring horses, motorcycles, tanks and helicopters took center stage.

“The oppression has ended,” said Mohamed Hariri, 48, a trader in Damascus who is originally from Dara’a, in southwestern Syria. “We now remain optimistic about the future.”