PHOTO: Mass demonstration in Homs Clock Tower Square, December 2011
Early on the morning of April 19, 2011, pro-Assad forces attacked protesters gathered at the historic Clock Tower in the center of Homs, Syria’s third-largest city. As one account summarized:
The shabiha forces opened fire heavily and randomly, targeting them. Protesters then ran and dispersed in all directions, chanting “God is the Greatest”. Gunfire was following them around in main streets and other roads.
People spoke of more than 200 civilians killed that day. The documented toll is “only” 12, although other casualties may never have been recorded and missing people never found amid the chaos.
Whatever the actual loss of life, the incident was a catalyst for both the Syrian uprising and an Assad regime which resorted to more and more violence to try to quell resistance.
By early 2012, much of Homs had been destroyed by regime bombing and fighting with the rebels. Thousands more civilians were dead.
In early 2015, Syrian authorities restarted the Homs clock, trying to portray that all is returning to normal — even as bombardment continues of one district, al-Wa’er, despite a truce. But as Syrian lawyer Najati Tayyara writes, “It cannot erase what has happened in the city.”
An Eyewitness Story: The Clock Square Massacre
Rose al-Homsi
April 18, 2012
….There were hundreds of thousands of revolutionaries… Men, youth, and children… All united for one aim: they united by their admiration of martyrdom and by their fury and anger for the 8 innocent civilians killed in Homs.
They passed by a police branch, where the regime had made it a center for its security and shabeeha (thugs) forces. Due to the massive floods of the brave revolutionaries, regime security forces had to hide so they’d prevent direct confrontation with the furious protesters.
The revolutionaries told them that “we shall be done with the funeral and then come back to you!”
Heading to the cemetery, they passed by Al Hamdeyye district, the Christian district in Homs. It was a beautiful scene when rice was being sprinkled all over the revolutionaries as they passed by. The women’s voices were echoing in this unity amongst religions, which is known to be part of Homs’s families and life but not part of the regime’s…
The crowds arrived to Al Kateeb and extended all the way to the police command center. They waited for the martyrs to be buried in a tense and worried atmosphere. The slander of the regime is infamous and very much known; everyone expected a barbaric attack to target them.
The burial was peacefully over. A demonstration was not planned until the crowds heard Homs’s revolutionaries chanting “To the Clock. To the Clock!” Out of worry, Sheikhs tried to convince the young men not to attend the demonstration, but they refused and insisted on going. Sheikhs couldn’t do anything but succumb to the demands of the young men.
The “flood of the crowds” flooded again after the last goodbye to the martyrs. A convoy was buried forever in the ground of immortality. The other convoy insisted on making its life worthy and meaningful. They insisted that they either be martyred or emerge victoriously.
The Clock Square was completely empty. No security or police presence. No signs of the presence of anything or anyone that has to do with Assad regime. Homs was there, with its people solely. Activists, educators, and scientists were present. Male and female revolutionaries were present, all arriving from every single district in the city of Homs. The people of Homs’ suburbs also arrived there, and the chants began to become louder. The taste of freedom began to taste sweeter and sweeter in the heart of every revolutionary. The protesters chanted amongst them: “Demonstrating, demonstrating, the regime we shall be toppling!”
Hope was drawing the most magnificent images by its brushes. The demonstration was more of a dreamy idea, but in that square, it began to be shaped and crystallized until it became a reality… A concrete, true, reality… The demonstration couldn’t be any better.
Nearby roads were cut off and barriers were stationed around the square. Some volunteer protesters checked the IDs of every man coming in, just for security and safety reasons.
More people flooded in. Freedom is like a magnet; it attracts the people that have been silenced for too long, oppressed by dictatorships and authoritarianism… The chance is now available to speak up about the duty, to scream in the face of the suppresser, to prove all these identities that have been concealed by a tyrannical iron fist. Speeches were then delivered from the Clock’s platform; a woman takes a turn, then an activist, then a Sheikh, then a enthusiastic young man… The people of Homs have created the most beautiful images of brotherhood, collaboration, and compassion. Then, the sun saluted Homs and allowed sunset to come. Preparations for another type of prayer began to take place, for a prayer very well done, for a Quran recited smoothly on the crowds….All along the understanding of the true essence of freedom the way God the most almighty wants it, not like what tyrants want it.
Footage of the attack in the Clock Square:
Abdel Basset Sarout, a prominent Syria football player, was a resistance leader in the early stages of the Homs uprising and then the protracted regime siege from 2011 to 2014. He later joined a independent brigade to continue the fight.
On the fifth anniversary of the Homs Clock Tower mass killing, he delivered this speech:
We Will Return to the Roots of Our Revolution
Abdel Basset Sarout
I would like to direct my greetings to any person whose heart is with our revolution. I am not talking to those whose hearts are with politics, or nations, or flags, & not those who have displaced us or slaughtered us, and this revolution is not Abdul Basset, Abdul Basset is just an individual in this revolution.
The revolution is those on the ground, Abdul Basset is not a “hero” of this revolution, Abdul Basset is just one individual of this revolution of which all are heroes because you cannot say that all the others are not. You cannot say that all the others haven’t struggled for this cause — even among those who have fought me & those who haven’t fought me, that they are not sincere….
Because we will all answer to God on the day of judgement, you will all be asked about us nd our blood before God. You will be questioned on what you brought forward and your shortcomings….
I remind you all as Syrians, and to all the youth, that I will continue to be part of this revolution. And I am the son of Homs and even if I were to go to the ends of the world, Homs is still inside me snd it will remain in my heart no matter what….
Now this message I address to Obama, to all politicians & organisations: this is a divine revolution….God has chosen this nation, we are the people of the Levant….
My emergence into this revolution began at this place [the Homs Clock Tower]. I remind the sheikhs that stood by our side and marched together in the streets, I hope we will all relive those days again. That we return to the roots of our revolution, on the path we were on, back to Homs.
(Hat tip to @malcolmite)