The Syrian opposition flag was hoisted atop the Syrian embassy in Athens on Sunday, following an announcement by Islamist-led rebels that they had seized control of Damascus, marking the end of President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
Greek state news agency ANA reported that at least three individuals entered the embassy and raised the opposition flag, which was later seen draped over the building’s roof.
Authorities dispatched officers to the scene, detaining three suspects.
A man was also observed on an embassy balcony holding a portrait of Assad and shouting “dictator.”
The incident drew jubilant Syrians living in Greece, many of whom fled the Assad regime after it was established in 1970, to the embassy to celebrate the reported political shift.
“The dictator has fled.
It’s over.
A new dawn rises for Syria,” said Maarouf Alobeid, a cardiologist residing in Greece for over 40 years.
“The thirst of the Syrian people for freedom and democracy cannot be described,” he continued.
Nader Halbouni, a senior official in Greece’s Syrian community, added, “Twenty-four million Syrians didn’t sleep all night.”
A celebratory gathering of Syrians in Greece was planned for later in the day.
Greece, a key entry point during the 2015 mass migration wave, has been home to tens of thousands of Syrians fleeing conflict.
Over 15,000 Syrians currently hold residence permits in the country, according to the Greek migration ministry.
AFP
