- Title: Syrians in Switzerland protest against Putin's role in war
- Date: 7th October 2016
- Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (OCTOBER 7, 2016) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS, MOSTLY FROM SYRIAN DIASPORA, WAVING SYRIAN REBEL FLAGS, HOLDING BANNERS AND SINGING IN FRONT OF RUSSIA DIPLOMATIC MISSION BANNER WITH PICTURE OF SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN LABELLED AS "TERRORISTS" AND READING (English): "PUTIN GO HOME, SYRIA IS OUR HOME" / PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNERS BANNER WITH FACES OF ASSAD WITH PUTIN CROSSED OUT WOMAN HOLDING BANNERS READING (English) "SAVE THE CHILDREN" PROTESTERS WITH SYRIAN REBEL FLAG AND BANNERS (SOUNDBITE) (French) UNNAMED SYRIAN REFUGEE, SAYING: "He is really the murderer of Syrian children, Putin. We even think that Putin is killing more than Assad. Because if we imagine that Putin hadn't intervened in Syria, Assad would surely have fallen or completely changed his strategy. He has more support, has become more violent, the Syrian regime has become a lot more violent, following the Russian decision to bomb the Syrian people. And if you follow what is happening in Aleppo, it is Russian planes which are bombing hospitals, schools, shelters." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS OUTSIDE RUSSIA DIPLOMATIC MISSION PROTESTER HOLDING BANNER READING (English): "STOP THE BARBARIC BOMBING ON ALEPPO" SYRIAN REBEL FLAG WITH WORDS (French): "ALEPPO: STOP THE BOMBARDMENT" / BANNER READING (French): "PUTIN ASSAD DAESH MURDERERS" (SOUNDBITE) (French) UNNAMED SYRIAN WOMAN RESIDENT IN SWITZERLAND, SAYING: "(I am here) to say no to the global silence and in particular the silence of the U.N., which only offers so-called condemnation, condemnation and in fact it's just words, there is no objective action to stop the massacre of Syrian children." SYRIAN REBEL FLAG BEING WAVED BOARD WITH PICTURES OF SYRIAN CHILDREN NEXT TO PUTIN WITH WORDS (English): "KIDS KILLER" VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS IN FRONT OF RUSSIAN MISSION
- Embargoed: 22nd October 2016 18:49
- Keywords: Putin Russia protest Syria war Switzerland
- Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- City: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA001530COQV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Dozens of people from the Syrian diaspora gathered in front of the Russian diplomatic mission in Geneva on Friday (October 7) to denounce Moscow's role in the Syrian civil war.
The protesters accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being responsible for the killing of thousands of people, as rebel-held parts of Syria come under intense bombardment.
According to the U.N., almost a third of the people killed in eastern Aleppo over the past two weeks have been children.
Some protesters said the Syrian government had become increasingly violent since Russia's intervention last year.
Russia began bombing raids in Syria in September 2015, helping Moscow's ally, Bashar al-Assad reclaim territory.
In recent weeks, Syrian government forces backed by Russian air power have stepped up an offensive on rebel-held parts of the city of Aleppo.
Russia, an ally of Damascus since the Cold War, has also supplied weapons to the Syrian army and shielded Damascus diplomatically from Western attempts to sanction Assad at the United Nations. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
