Part 3/8:
The Arab Spring and the Outbreak of Civil War
The Arab Spring in early 2011 served as a catalyst for unrest in Syria. It began with typical protests demanding democratic reforms, sparked by the brutal response of the regime to the torture of school children in Dar’a. Assad's violent crackdown ignited more significant protests, showcasing the people's desire for greater freedoms. The regime’s insistence on characterizing dissent as foreign agitation only further estranged the populace.