The 2011--2012 Syrian uprising is an ongoing internal conflict in Syria,
a part of the wider Arab Spring, that began in January 2011. Public
demonstrations first took place on 26 January 2011, but were only a
sporadic occurrence until mass protests erupted in Damascus on 15
March.[48] The situation quickly developed into a full-scale nationwide
uprising, with protesters demanding the resignation of President Bashar
al-Assad and the overthrow of the government. The situation in Syria is
part of the Arab Spring, a wave of social upheaval throughout the Arab
World demanding greater political freedom and an end to autocracy.
Inspired by the successful revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, Syrian
protesters have employed the use of tactics such as marches, hunger
strikes, rioting, and vandalism, in a sustained campaign of civil
resistance aimed at ending nearly five decades of Ba'athist rule. The
uprising was described as "unprecedented" by several political
commentators