“Free Syria” rang through downtown Erie Tuesday, with dozens of Syrians gathering in Perry Square to celebrate Bashar Al-Assad’s removal from power.
And for many Syrians, that removal means an end to suffering.
“The president, the dictator of Syria, he’s gone. He ran away. No more killing, no more arresting people without a reason. No more bombing,” said Youssef Almaraey, president of the Erie Syrian Culture Center.
“They used to torture them every day of their lives, and we finally came here to share our smiles with everyone,” said Farah Aldalati.
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“Finally, he’s done with Syria. Finally, no more killing people, no more killing kids. That’s it, finally,” said Mohammad Almosa.
And after decades of suffering in Syria, many said they never thought this day would come.
“We are happy, everyone in the family here is celebrating. It’s a great great moment. We never thought this was going to be. It’s like a dream for everyone here,” said Bassam Dabvah, a Syrian community leader.