2011-2012 Syrian Uprising

 

The 2011–2012 Syrian uprising is an ongoing internal conflict in Syria, a part of the 

wider Arab Spring. Public demonstrations first took place on 26 January 2011, but were only a sporadic occurrence until mass protests erupted in Daraa on 15 March. The situation quickly developed into a full-scale nationwide uprising, with protesters demanding the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad and the overthrow of the government. 

The situation in Syria is part of the Arab Spring, a wave of social upheaval throughout the Arab World demanding greater political freedom and an end to autocracy. Inspired by the successful revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, Syrian protesters have employed the use of tactics such as marches, hunger strikes, rioting, and vandalism, in a sustained campaign of civil resistance aimed at ending nearly five decades of Ba’athist rule. The uprising was described as "unprecedented" by several political commentators.

The Arab League,the European Union, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Gulf Cooperation Council, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United States have condemned the use of violence against the protesters,among others. The government of Iran, Assad’s primary regional and political ally, initially suggested the demonstrations were a foreign plot,but President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has since called for reforms and for both sides to reach an understanding, and stated that neither side has the right to kill others.