A sit-in at the Tishreen Dam on the Euphrates River in northern Syria has been gaining momentum, as convoys of residents from across the region governed by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) head to safeguard the critical infrastructure and draw international attention to Turkish-backed bombardments which threaten the dam’s collapse.
The popular protest at the dam site has continued non-stop since 8 January, with locals taking shifts to ensure a constant occupation, even in the face of bombardments by Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) mercenaries and direct bombing by Turkey. Three civilians were targeted and killed while travelling to the dam demonstration last week.
Over the weekend, a new wave of participants arrived from Raqqa (Reqa), with the group expected to take over on Monday. The protesters, who expressed determination with chants of resistance, told the local Hawar News Agency that they aimed to prevent the attacks and protect the dam, the collapse of which could be catastrophic for people and the environment.
On Monday, a new wave of artillery attacks by the SNA was observed in the areas around the dam, with footage released by the ANHA news agency claiming to show the moment when a Kurdish Red Crescent (Heyva Sor) ambulance was almost hit by artillery fire as it drove along a road near the Tishreen dam.
