syrian uprising

Syrian Uprising

March 15, 2011 to Present

Arab Spring• The Arab Spring is a revolutionary wave of

demonstrations and protests in the Arab world put on by people who want change

• The Arab Spring began on December 18, 2010. • To date, there have been revolutions in the

following countries: – Tunisia– Egypt– a civil war in Libya resulting in the fall of the country's

government– civil uprisings in Bahrain, Syria, and Yemen– major protests in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait,

Morocco, and Oman– minor protests in Lebanon, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia,

Sudan and Western Sahara

The Arab World

Current Leader of Syria

• Bashar al-Assad

Causes of Uprising

• Authoritarian government

• Lack of an effective constitution

• Government corruption

• Unemployment

• Inspiration from other uprisings-Egypt, Libya, etc

Goals of Uprising

• Resignation of Bashar al-Assad

• Democratic reforms

• Regime change(50 years of rule)

• Expand civil rights

• Recognition of Kurdish rights

• Abolition of the Supreme State Security Court

• Lifting of the emergency law(48 years)

The Protests

• Syrian protesters have employed the use of tactics such as marches, hunger strikes, rioting, and vandalism

• Since the summer(2011), armed militia groups have started fighting back against the government

Syrian Gov’t Responds to Protests

• Deployed tanks and snipers as a means to stop protesters

• Water and electricity have been shut off in certain areas

• Security forces have resorted to confiscating flour and food

• The Syrian Army has surrounded numerous cities

• According to witness accounts, soldiers who have refused to open fire against civilians were executed by the Syrian Army

Syrian Gov’t Responds to Protests

• There have been cases of rape, torture and killing of women and children

UN and US Reaction

• Nations/People/Organizations condemning Syrian violence against protesters:

– The Arab League– the European Union– UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-

moon– the Organization of Islamic

Cooperation– the Gulf Cooperation Council– Saudi Arabia– Turkey– the United States – many others have condemned

the use of violence against the protesters

UN Peacekeepers?

• UN Peacekeepers

• Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that proposed a plan for Syrian president Bashar Assad to step down.

• This greatly upset the US and UN