Syrian Revolution in Tahrir

Graffiti/Street Art

"The people want the fall of the regime". This graffiti image, depicting Syrian president Bashar al Assad, expresses solidarity with Syrians seeking to topple the Syrian regime.

Inspired by events in Egypt and Tunisia, Syrians began protesting against the Syrian government in March 2011. What began as peaceful protests descended into armed conflict by the summer of 2011, as government forces used extreme violence against protesters. Following the intervention of regional and international actors, the situation developed into a civil war that was still ongoing at the time of writing.

The artist, El Teneen, became well-known after the fall of Hosni Mubarak for his political graffiti opposing military rule. This image suggests the existence of solidarity amongst Egyptians with other Arabs opposing their respective dictators in 2011. However, by 2013, the public mood had somewhat shifted with many Egyptians associating support for the Syrian uprising, which was dominated by Islamist groups, with the increasingly unpopular rule of Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi and his sectarian discourse.

El Teneen

Suzee in the City blog

Suzee in the City

Arabic

11/08/2011