#LAST_CALL_FROM_DARAYYA

Since the beginning of the Syrian revolution in 2011, the city of Darayya, on the outskirts of Damascus, has become a symbol of popular resistance to the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad. It has been surrounded and besieged by forces loyal to Al-Assad for more than three years but so far all attempts by the regime to capture it have failed.

The town has survived the regime’s attempts to starve it into submission, thanks in part to a communal kitchen which distributes free food to the neediest families and to opposition fighters. However, food and medical supplies are now very scarce.

Today, Darayya is under a ferocious assault by regime forces who have advanced on the city and imposed a stranglehold on the opposition fighters defending it, confining them to an area of one square kilometre and capturing parts of the city and the surrounding farms which people depend on for their food supply. There is now a great deal of fear over what may happen to the people of Darayya, not least because the last time regime forces entered the city, in August 2012, they committed one of the worst massacres of the Syrian conflict, killing at least 400 civilians. Activists on Twitter have been drawing attention to the danger the city is facing and have started several hashtags. These include #We_are_all_Darayya, #Save_Darayya (both in Arabic and in English), and in the past 24 hours #Last_Call_From_Darayya.

An activist calling herself Hurra tweeted: “Darayy a is dying before our eyes. It has made its last call to save what is left of it.”

#داريا تحتضر امام اعيننا ..
تطلق ندائها لاخير لاغاثت ماتبقى منها.#النداء_الاخير_من_داريا

— حُرة… (@hutheil) July 14, 2016

Describing what the city has experienced, Khaled tweeted:

4 years of constant shelling, siege, forced starvation, empty aid trucks and promises. Still standing. Save #Daraya #النداء_الاخير_من_داريا

— Khaled خالد (@KaanWafi) July 14, 2016

Tamam Abu Al-Kheir wrote about the intensity of the bombardment Darayya is facing: “Surface-to-surface missiles, barrel bombs and savage bombing on Darayya. If the shells which have hit Darayya had hit nations, they would have exterminated all their inhabitants.”

صواريخ أرض أرض وبراميل متفجرة وقصف همجي مسعور على مدينة #داريا
القذائف التي تُلقى على #داريا لو كانت ألقيت على دول لأبادت شعوبا بأكملها .

— تمام أبو الخير (@RevTamam) July 14, 2016

A tweet by Obada expressed the foreboding of many Syrians:

Darayya is about to fall and the imminent war crimes against the civilians there is guaranteed all thanks to Assad.#النداء_الاخير_من_داريا

— عبادة (@DrThrax123) July 14, 2016

Another tweet by Mohammed Awsi summed up the significance of Darayya to Syrians and supporters of the Syrian revolution: “#Save_Darayya.. the land of martyrs. We will never forget the sacrifices of your revolutionaries, the peacefulness of your protests, and your heroic Free Syrian Army. You live in our hearts.”

#أنقذوا_داريا أرض الشهداء لن ننسى تضحيات ثواركم وسلمية مظاهراتكم وعنب كرمك و جيشك الحر البطل انتم في القلب يا احرار pic.twitter.com/TTlBfwGSav

— MOHAMMED AWSI (@mohamadawss) July 13, 2016

Alia tweeted: “Darayya is the conscience of the revolution. What will be left of the revolution if Daraya falls?”

#أنقذوا_داريا
فـ روح غياث مطر ورفاقه ترفف فوقها ولم تفارقها

— منتدى الثورة السورية (@syria7ra) July 11, 2016

Fouad Hallak called on opposition fighters in other parts of Syria to attack regime forces in order to relieve the pressure on Darayya. “Darayya has been besieged for more than three years and hasn’t asked you for food or water. It’s now asking you to rise up to relieve the pressure on its heroes.”

#داريا محاصرة منذ أكثر من ثلاث سنوات ولم تطلب منكم الطعام والشراب، تطالبكم بالفزعة للتخفيف عن أبطالها#أنقذوا_داريا https://t.co/OTrNGXMgVi

— فؤاد حلاق (@Fouadhallak89) July 11, 2016

Eman Alhariri tweeted: “It is shameful and embarrassing that Darayya is still calling and no one is answering its call from those who should have risen up for it in the first place.”

شيء مخجل ومعيب أن #داريا مازالت تنادي
ولا مُلبي لندائها ..
والذي من المفروض ان يفزعوا لها من البداية خوفاً عليها ..
#النداء_الاخير_من_داريا

— .. إيمان الحريري .. (@EmanAlhariri1) July 14, 2016

On the other hand, Beshri blamed the international community for the city’s plight, saying: “Darayya is burning as the malicious international order watches.”

#أنقذوا_داريا
داريا تحرق تحت نظر النظام الدولي الخبيث. أسأل الله لهم الفرج

— beshri (@beshriaw) July 11, 2016