Thousands of Syrians flooded the streets of the capital on Monday for official celebrations marking the first anniversary of the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, ending his family’s decades-long rule and a brutal 14-year civil war. The atmosphere, however, was one of stark division, underscoring a nation still grappling with profound trauma and an uncertain future.

The government-organized events included a large military parade and a speech by Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led the coalition of opposition and Islamist factions that toppled Assad in a decisive offensive last year. Assad fled the country and remains in exile in Russia.

In central Damascus, crowds waved the new Syrian flag, cheered passing army units, and listened as President al-Sharaa hailed the anniversary as a “day of liberation and new beginnings.” He praised the “sacrifices of the rebels and revolutionaries” and pledged a path toward reconstruction and reconciliation.

“Today, we close the chapter of tyranny and open one of unity,” al-Sharaa told the assembled crowd. “The road ahead is long, and the wounds are deep, but the Syrian people have proven their resilience.”

Yet the official jubilation was not universal. In many parts of the country, and among vast segments of the global Syrian diaspora, the day was met with silence, mourning, or protest. For them, the legacy of the conflict—which cost hundreds of thousands of lives, displaced millions, and left the country’s infrastructure in ruins—overshadows any cause for celebration. Many also express deep skepticism about the current interim authority, citing concerns over governance, ongoing security issues, and the dominant role of hardline Islamist factions in the victorious coalition.

“We traded one form of oppression for another,” said a former activist from Aleppo, now living in Turkey, who asked not to be named. “The bombing has stopped in many places, but we have no justice, no real freedom, and no say in this new order.”

The international community remains cautiously engaged. While several nations have recognized the interim government and pledged aid for stabilization, key global powers are divided, and the process of rebuilding the shattered state is expected to take decades.

As the parade concluded and the crowds in Damascus dispersed, the contrasting sentiments highlighted the central challenge facing Syria: uniting a fractured nation after a generation of conflict and forging a peace that all its people can celebrate.