About 100 people gathered outside the Russian embassy in Dublin on Wednesday to protest against the killing and bombing in Aleppo.
The demonstration was organised by the Irish-Syria Solidarity Movement in protest against continuing violations of the rules of war and crimes against humanity committed against the people of Aleppo.
The group called on the international community to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety and safe evacuation of civilians and surrendering fighters, and for the Irish Government to “to publicly call for the indictment of all parties – both states and individuals –responsible for the egregious crimes against humanity being committed in Aleppo and across Syria”.
Plans to evacuate besieged rebel districts of Aleppo were under threat as renewed air strikes and shelling rocked the city in a bombardment the United Nations said “most likely constitutes war crimes”.
A ceasefire brokered on Tuesday by Russia, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s most powerful ally, and Turkey was intended to end fighting in the city, giving the Syrian leader his biggest victory in more than five years of war.
But air strikes, shelling and gunfire erupted on Wednesday, with Turkey accusing government forces of breaking the truce. Syrian state television said rebel shelling had killed six people.
Banners and slogans
Demonstrators carried banners saying “Free Aleppo” and chanted “Russia, Russia, what do you say? How many kids have you killed today?”.
Lubna Abouhajar, who was born in Ireland to Syrian parents, says she attended the demonstration to show her support for the Syrian people.
“It’s more that just about the fact that so many people have been killed,” she said. “It’s a turning point. Everything that has been fought for is now gone. There will just be more killing and violence. Nobody know what’s going to happen next.
“I have two family members in Syria and I’m so worried.”