A group of revolutionary youth who joined efforts after being part of the civil movement in the city of Sweida were behind the Free People of Sweida assembly. The association was established In order to support the uprising and in rejection to all forms of political or sectarian affiliation. The common thread among the group was their love of Syria, yearning for freedom and their full belief of the uprising and its goals of building a civil, democratic country.
Activists of the assembly believe in civil resistance as a means of change, which is why they express themselves through “demonstrations, graffiti campaigns, pamphlets, peaceful sit-ins and documentation of the civil movement in Syria via the Facebook page,” as one of the activists explains in an interview with Syria Untold
In addition to their peaceful activities, the group pays a great deal of attention to the ephemeral space. The group runs a media platform that allows them to speak their true voice, espress their standpoint on the course of the revolution and its daily events, and deliver the news to readers and activists.
Obstacles faced by the assembly are no different of what faces most civil groups in Syria. Since the regime is willing to detain and kill those who oppose it, the activists are forced to work in hiding or flee the country. Additionally, they are faced with the financial burdeons of running such an association while at the same time rejecting any conditional funding. This has prompted the group to rely on themselves to fundraise all of their campaigns and activities.
The group only operates in the city of Sweida, because: “the idea behind the assembly is not to gain support from other provinces, but to coordinate the efforts of anti-regime activists in Sweida and contribute to the civil movement in the city."
The Free people of Sweida assembly is a youth gathering that was born from the womb of the Syrian uprising. In its a-political program and unrelentless pacifist ideology, the group attempts to distinguish itself from other gatherings, while at the same holding the common ideals of the revolution as their main point of departure.
