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As Syrians mark the first anniversary of the Assad regime’s chemical attacks on Al Ghouta, which caused the death of several hundred people, we the undersigned stand in solidarity with the millions of Syrians who have struggled for dignity and freedom since March 2011. We call on the people of the world to act in support of the revolution and its goals, demanding the immediate end of the violence and the end of the illegitimate Assad regime.

On the anniversary of the attack, August 21st, we call on supporters of the Syrian Revolution, and of the region wide and global uprisings for freedom, dignity and social justice, to organize events to denounce the atrocities, misinformation, lies and shamed silences, and to show solidarity, both political and material, with the ongoing efforts of grassroots Syrians.

Syrian revolutionaries have continued to struggle for freedom despite the many obstacles they face. To kill the revolution, the Syrian regime pursued four strategies: 1) militarization of the revolt through a six-month long campaign of violent repression of peaceful protests 2) islamization of the uprising by targeting secular groups and empowering Jihadists, 3) sectarianization of the conflict through recruitment of an increasing number of Shia fighters from abroad, coupled with the targeting of Sunni areas, and 4) internationalization of the war by inviting Iran and Russia to play a central role. At the same time countries such as the United States, Saudi Arabia and Qatar backed reactionary groups to undermine the popular revolution.

The case of the “Douma 4” also shows that Syrian revolutionaries are fighting on two fronts. Four brave activists working for the Violations Documentation Centre were kidnapped in December 2013 by unknown masked armed men believed to be from Islamist groups. These activists were targeted because they consistently spoke out against all forms of tyranny and human rights abuses regardless of the perpetrator. Their kidnapping is a reminder that the Syrian revolution is not only against the Assad dictatorship, but also increasingly against reactionary and opportunist groups that oppose the objectives of the revolution: democracy, social justice and an end to sectarianism.

The first anniversary of the chemical attacks is an occasion to reaffirm the importance of the revolutionary process not only in Syria but also in the entire Arab World. The Syrian struggle against dictatorship, global jihadism, and imperialism from whichever quarter it comes, should not be viewed as local or even regional. It forms part of an insurrectionary moment in which the whole world has become the battlefield. The new developments in Iraq and the resumed war on Gaza have shown that the fate of the Syrian revolution is connected to the situation in the entire region. The struggle of Syrians for dignity, freedom, and self-determination cannot be delinked from the historic rebellion against Zionism, the Egyptian struggles against military despotism, the Bahraini uprising against dictatorship, the Kurdish struggle for self-determination, the Zapatista and other indigenous populations’ resistance against racism and neoliberalism, or the massive workers’ rebellions on every continent against crisis-driven austerity demands.

The Syrian revolution is at a crossroads, and Syrian revolutionaries are in desperate need of support as they fight on several fronts. A victory for the various counter-revolutions would make permanent the largest ethnic cleansing of our century, leave the country in ruins, and critically destabilise the region and the world. A victory for the revolution, however, would unleash long-repressed social and political aspirations throughout the Arab world and beyond.

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Signatures

Groups:

Adopt a Revolution

Comité català en Solidaritat amb el Poble Sirià

Europe Solidaire Sans Frontières (ESSF)

MENA Solidarity Network

Solidaridad Global con la Revolución Siria, Barcelona

Syrian Revolution Bases of Support

Syria Solidarity Movement

The global campaign of solidarity with the Syrian revolution

La asociacion SODEPAU de Barcelona (Catalunya)

International Socialists (IST Norway)

Movimiento Corriente Roja/Spain

Individuals:

Aaron Winslow, Columbia University, United States

Abir Saksook, Architect and activist, Lebanon

Adam Hanieh, SOAS University of London, United Kingdom

Adb Hakawati, director, Syria

Aghyan Alzuabi, United States

Akram Zaatari, Artist, Lebanon

Aktham Abazid

Alaa Shehabi, activist, Bahrain

Alicia Fdez Gómez, Asturias, Spain

Amrita Pande, University of Cape Town, South Africa – India

Andrew Pollack, MENA Solidarity Network, United States

Ania Loomba, University of Pennsylvania, United States

Anthony Arnove, author, United States

Antonia Carcelen-Estrada, University of Massachusetts, Ecuador/ United Sates

Ashley Smith, ISO, United States

Assem al Bacha, Sculptor, Syria/ Spain

Augstin Lao Montes, University of Massachusetts, United States

Ayham Dahi, Science Coordinator, Syria/ United States

Ayoub Abbous, documentarist, Syria

Azadeh Moaveni

Bassem Chit/ Socialist Forum – Lebanon

Bill Weinberg, writer, United States

Bronwen Griffiths, United Kingdom

Budour Hassan, Palestine

Carlos Pérez Soto, Teacher, Arcis University, Chile

Charles Faulkner, Florida, United States

Corey Oakley Bill Weinberg, writer, New York City

Cort Greene, Panama

Cristina Mas, Lluita Internacionalista, Spain

David Camfield, University of Manitoba, Canada

David Karvala, Revolutionary socialist and internationalist, Member of En lluita, Spain

David McNally, York University, Canada

Deepa Kumar, Rutgers University, US

Diaa Homsy, Syria/Spain

Diala Brisly, artist, Syria/ Lebanon

Dima Alchukr, University Saint Joseph, Syria

Dima Wannous, Journalist, Syria

Donya Ziaee, York University, Canada/Iran

Elena Cal Atán, Galicia

Elisa Marvena, Spain

Ella Wind, Writer, United States

Emir Benli, University of Massachusetts, Turkey/ United States

En lluita, revolutionary socialist organisation, Spain

En Lucha, revolutionary socialist organisation, Spain

Eric Ruder, United States

Erika Markez, Bryn Mawr College, United States/Colombia

Faress Jouejati, Syria

Fouad Roueiha, Roma, Italy

Gabriel Ash,

Gabriel Tolstoy, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Ghayath Naisse , Revolutionary Left Current, Syria

Gibert Achcar, SOAS, University of London, Lebanon/ United Kingdom

Hani Sayed, American University of Cairo, Egypt/ Syria

Harald Etzbach, Germany

Hassan el Tazi, Cairo, Egypt

Hazim Osman, Syria

Hind Aboud Kabawat, Lawyer, Syria/ Canada

Ibrahim Al-Assil, Researcher, Syria

Ibrahim Fakhri, Artist, London

Italo Retamal Espinoza, Chile

James Cohen, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3, France/ United States

James Gelvin, UCLA, United States

Jamie Allinson, University of Westminster, United Kingdom

Jeanette Jouili, College of Charleston, United States/ Morocco

Jeff Meisner, Leiden University, The Netherlands

Jens Hanssen, University of Toronto, Canada/ Germany

Jihad Yazigi, Journalist, Syria

John Silver, Germany

Jonathan Shannon

Jorge Lemos, solidaritéS, Switzerland

Joris Diepstraten

Joseph Daher, Revolutionary Left Current, Syria

Juan Carlos Mollá Latorre, Alcoi, Spain

Julia Bartal, farmer, La Via Campesina

Juliette Harkin, University of East Anglia, Norwich

Kendal Wigan,

Laleh Khalili, SOAS, University of London, United Kingdom

Laurent Dan Moeri, AntiDotEzine.com, Switzerland/ Israel

Layla k. Feghali, France

Leila al-Shami, Tahrir – International Collective Network (Tahrir-ICN)

Leila Nachawati, Syria/Spain

Linda Quiquividx, Brown University, United States / Guatemala

Lisette Zomerdijk, The Netherlands

Manuela Nehal, Germany

Manuel T. Barrera, Metropolitan State University, United States

Mariana Morena, Activist in social networks, Argentina

Mariane Ebel, solidaritéS, Switzerland

Mark Boothroyd, Syria Solidarity Movement, UK

Maryam alkhawaja, Human Rights Defender, Bahrain

Mary Rizzo, Italy

Max D. Weiss, Princeton University, United States

Max van Lingen

Mezar Matar, Photojournalist, Syria

Michael Karadjis, University of Western Sydney, Australia

Mina Khanlarzadeh, Columbia University, United States/Iran

Miriyam Aouragh, Oxford, United Kingdom

Mohamad Al Bardan, Engineer, Syria

Mohammad al Attar, playwright, Syria

Mohammed AlMaskati, Activist, Bahrain

Mohammed Bamyeh, University of Pittsburgh, United States

Monzer Alsallal, Activist, Syria

Mowafak Kanfach, Casa del Libro Arabe

Murad Haron, Damascus, Syria

Nadia Hasan, Palestine/Chile

Nadine Bekdache, Designer/ Activist, Lebanon

Naomí Ramírez Díaz, Spain

Nasser al Sakhri, political activist, Saudi Arabia

Nasser Rabbat, MIT, United States/Syria

Nicole Gevirtz, United States

Nigel Gibson, Emerson College, United Kingdom / United States

Noor Moubayed, United States

Omar Abbas, Student, Syria

Omnia El Shakry, UC Davis, United States

Patricia Fiquet

Paul Amar, University of California – Santa Barbara, United States

Pavel Nicola Morales Bustamante, social scientist, Santiago de Chile

Peggy Lynd, Canada

Pepijn Brandon, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Peter Hill

Petra Becker, Researcher, Germany

Peyman Jafari, Leiden University, The Netherlands

Phil Butland, Die LINKE, Germany

Phil Gasper, Madison College, United States

Pierlugi Blasioli, Italy

Pierre Tevanian, Writer and activist, France

Qusai Zakarya, Damascus, Syria

Raed Aljundi

Raed Fares, Activist, Syria

Rafaela Apel, student, single mother, unemployed, Chile/Germany

Rafat Al Zakout, Theatre director, Syria

Ralf Florian

Ralph Apel, Germany, engineer

Rami Nihawi

Randy Gould, United States

Rasha Salti, curator and writer, Lebanon

Rayan Majed, Journalist, Lebanon

Razan Ghazzawi, Campaigns and Activities Manager at Syrian Women’s Network, Syria/Palestine

Ricard Garcia Vilanova, freelance photographer, Spain

Riccardo Belli, Italy

Rima Majed, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Riya Hassan, activist UK/Palestine

Roland Rance

Rosana Navarro Lopez Ontinyent, Valencia, Spain

Rouzana, Syrian Revolution in the Languages of the World (SRLW), Syria

Ruba Alkhouli, Syria/ Spain

Ruth Reigler, Scotland

Sa’ed Adel Atshan, Brown University, Palestine/ United States

Saad Hajo, Cartoonist, Syria

Sahar Burhan, Painter, Syria

Sahar Sadjadi, Amherst College, Iran/ United States

Sai Englert, United Kingdom

Saleem Lubbad, United Kingdom/ Palestine

Saleh Fekry, Cairo, Egypt

Sandra Hetzl, Germany

Santiago Alba, philosopher and writer, Spain

Sarah Bracke, Harvard University, United States/ Belgium

Sari Hanafi, American University of Beirut, Lebanon/ Palestine

Sebastiao Nascimento, Brazil

Seda Altug, Bogazici University, Turkey

Senay Ozden, Syrian Cultural Center, Turkey

Sergio Viña, Spain

Sheena Gleeson, United Kingdom

Shereen Hassan, PHD candidate, Palestine.

Sherry Wolf, Associate Editor, International Socialist Review, United States

Shiar Youssef, Shiar

Shon Meck fred, United States

Sonja Mejcher-Atassi, America University of Beirut, Lebanon/ Germany

Stefan Christoff, media maker and activist, Canada

Steve Graham, Newcastle University, United Kingdom

Sune Haugbolle, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Talal Alyan, Palestine/ United States

Tania Khoury, Lebanon

Thomas Kvilhaug, Norway,

Va Za Eliza Miscior, Seville, Spain

Veronica Ramadan, United States

Wael Elasady, ISO & Co-founder of Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights, United States

Walid Daou, Socialist Forum, Lebanon

Yasser al-Zaiat

Yasser Khanger, Poet, Ex political prisoner in Israeli Prisons, Occupied Golan, Syria

Yasser Munif, Emerson College, Syria/ United States

Yassin al Haj Saleh, Writer, Syria

Yusef Khalil, activist, Lebanon/Syria/US

Zhaleh Sahand, Activist, Iran/ United States

Ziad Majed, Writer, Lebanon/ France

SOURCE: Syrian Revolution Support Bases