Inside Aleppo: The first city to fall to Syrian rebels

Residents of the the city that was ravaged by civil war seem keen to get rid of the symbols of the Assad regime.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersInside Aleppo, the first city to fall to Syrian rebelsBBCIn Aleppo's city centre, the huge billboard in the main square with a picture of President Bashar al-Assad, which used to be a feature in any Syrian town and village, was set on fire, then removed.

The red, white and black national flags that decorated the lampposts were also taken away and replaced with what is known as "independence flag". Down the road, outside the city hall, a giant banner with a photo of Assad was taken down; another had his face riddled with bullets, and for whatever reason was being kept there.

Across Aleppo, residents and the new authorities seemed eager to get rid of anything symbolising the Assads - Bashar had come to power in 2000 after the death of his father Hafez, who ruled for 29 years.

I came to Aleppo for the first time as a student, in 2008, and banners with Assad's face were prominent in public squares, streets and government buildings; all of them seemed to have been either removed or destroyed.

This was the first major city captured by Islamist-led rebels earlier this month, in their astonishing offensive that overthrew Assad and brought freedom to this country after five decades of oppression – at least for now.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3wexlp91n4o

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