Tears of joy in Manchester as Syrians dream of returning home after fall of Assad regime
Singing, dancing, hugging and crying. Hundreds of Syrians have gathered in Manchester city centre to celebrate the end of the regime, a regime many fled in fear of their lives.
Their faces are full of joy and tears as years of fear, worry and disappointment make way for hope.
They wave flags saying “freedom” and cheer as an impromptu fireworks display lights up the sky.
Many refugees said they’ve dreamt of this moment for years. I’ve never been approached by so many people wanting to tell their story.
After years of repression, they want the world to hear what they’ve been through.
Refugee Yasmin said her words are her weapon, which is why she had to flee Syria. But now she no longer has to be quiet.
She said she was “ecstatic to see President Assad’s repressive regime finally over.
Yasmin says she’s ‘ecstatic’ the regime was overthrown without bloodshed
“It’s an indescribable joy to see your country of origin liberated in the way that it’s been liberated – without any bloodshed, without any destruction, without any division,” Yasmin told Sky News.
After years away, she said she hopes to return home soon – a sentiment shared by many at the celebration.
Yasser has been in the UK since 2015 when he came to Manchester as a refugee. But, like many who fled the civil war, he still has close family back in Syria.
“Every moment there they could be in danger,” he said. “But finally this dream has become true now.
“I was welcomed very well from the Mancunian people – I am very, very happy to stay here, but I’m looking forward to the first flight to Syria to go back.”
Yasser says he was welcomed in Manchester but can’t wait to return home
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Some people at the celebration are unsure if their relatives are still alive.
Amneh was jailed for six months and tortured by a regime she likened to Nazi Germany. She sobbed as she said she could now return to help build a “new Syria”.
“In my dream I cannot imagine we will arrive to this moment,” she said.
“Do you know what happened now – the dictator is done! The freedom for Syria – we paid a huge price for that.”
Hundreds gathered in Manchester to celebrate a new dawn for Syria
Three of Amneh’s brothers were also sent to prison, but she’s had no news about them and isn’t sure if they are still alive.
“We are full [of] hope, full [of] pain – because I lost my three brothers, and for other detainees still missing,” she said.
“[But] I feel hopeful because I want to look forward to the future, to rebuild a new Syria with justice, with democracy for every single person.”
Jess Phillips has said “nothing is off the table” when dealing with the grooming gangs scandal – including a new national inquiry if victims want one.
The safeguarding minister told Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast that she would listen to victims on a new panel that was announced by the government this week.
“Nothing is off the table,” she said.
“And if the victims come forward to me in this victims panel and they say, ‘actually, we think there needs to be a national inquiry into this’, I’ll listen to them.”
Politics latest: Tories told to ‘put up or shut up’
Her comments come days after it emerged she had rejected calls from Oldham Council to hold a government inquiry into grooming gangs in the town, and said the council should commission one instead.
That has led to tech billionaire Elon Musk attacking her and Sir Keir Starmer for not holding a national inquiry and accusing the prime minister of being “complicit” in the abuse.
Professor Alexis Jay finished an eight-year national inquiry into child sexual abuse in 2022 and set out recommendations for the government.
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The Conservatives tabled an amendment to the Children’s Safeguarding and Schools Bill on Wednesday to require a statutory inquiry into grooming gangs.
However, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told Sky News the Tories “don’t care about children” as the amendment could prevent the entire bill from going forward.
She said: “The measures that I’m setting out today and the legislation in many ways go further because it puts a requirement on all councils to have teams working to keep children safe.
“And the bandwagon jumpers that have come along in recent days, they don’t care about children, they don’t care about making sure that we stop this and we take action.
“They had years to do it and they didn’t do it.”
The Conservatives also rejected a call from Oldham Council for a government inquiry in 2022.
You can listen to Beth’s full interview with Jess Phillips in a special episode of Electoral Dysfunction released on Thursday.
The 14-year-old who was stabbed to death on a bus in southeast London yesterday has been named as Kelyan Bokassa.
He was stabbed to death on a bus in Woolwich Church Street, close to the Woolwich Ferry, just before 2.30pm on Tuesday.
The teenager died at the scene shortly after medical help arrived.
The Metropolitan Police called the stabbing a “horrific attack,” while London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said the “heart-breaking violence has absolutely no place in our city”.
No arrests have been made so far but officers are appealing for witnesses who were on the 472 bus.
Tributes were left to the teenager, who was a student at St Columba’s Catholic Boys School. Pic: PA
An aspiring rapper, 14-year-old Kelyan was also “briefly” a student at St Columba’s Catholic Boys School in Bexleyheath.
The South East London Catholic Academy Trust said in a statement it was “saddened by the loss of life” and added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time.
“Our schools will provide support to any of the students who may be affected by this senseless violence.”
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Mary Bokassa, the boy’s mother, also told MailOnline that he and others “were taken advantage by gangs” and “were groomed”.
She told the outlet: “He was missing for a year and was living on the street. He finally turned up at my doorstep, he was sick, underweight and tattooed.
“He was exposed to drugs. He probably experienced something because I could sense it. He was not himself. If I questioned him, he wouldn’t tell me anything about his friends.”
Detective Chief Inspector Martin Thorpe, who is leading the investigation, said: “Following Kelyan’s tragic death yesterday, specialist officers are now leading the investigation which is progressing at pace.
“If anyone saw this horrific attack or was in the area then I urge them to come forward and speak to officers.
“We’re particularly interested in any mobile phone footage that captured this incident or any dash cam or doorbell footage from around the surrounding area at the time of this incident.”
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