Syrian Day of Rage: Don't forget Assad's crimes

A Syrian Day of Rage was held in rebel-held parts of Syria and in several cities around the world on Saturday to denounce the crimes of the Assad regime and remind the world of the Syrian rebellion.

The event drew hundreds of people in Idlib in the north and the Ghouta region near Damascus.

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The protesters also denounced the atrocities taking place in Deir az-Zour and Raqqa, the use of chemical weapons by the regime, and international complacency.

They demanded an end to the regime's siege and ongoing attacks on the Eastern Ghouta by regime forces and its allies.

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Outside of Syria, Day of Rage protests took place across European capitals, including Dublin, where a picket was held outside the Russian embassy.

The Syrian conflict began when the Baath regime - in power since 1963 and led now by President Bashar al-Assad - responded with military force to quell peaceful protests demanding democratic reforms in 2011. The violence triggered an armed rebellion fuelled by mass defections from the Syrian army.

According to independent monitors, hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed in the war, mostly by the regime and its powerful allies. Millions have been displaced both inside and outside of Syria.

The brutal tactics pursued mainly by the regime, which have included the use of chemical weapons, sieges, mass executions and torture against civilians have led to war crimes investigations.