New York, NY – Around 65 people attended the Hands Off Syria Coalition panel discussion called, “What’s Ahead for the War on Syria?” on Dec. 2.

Eva Bartlett, an independent journalist who just came back from a month-long trip in Aleppo, and cofounder of the Syria Solidarity Movement, spoke about various aspects of the conflict. Bartlett talked about how Syrians view the Western-backed ‘revolutionaries’ as terrorists and how they feel safe when the Syrian army enters a district.

Bartlett also spoke of her experience during Syria’s 2014 election, stating “On election day, I saw Syrians line up to vote. And when I spoke to them, the majority were for Assad. No matter what you think of him, they voted for him. This whole thing is not about Assad and it's never been about him. It's about imperial forces fighting for a regime change in Syria. And I hope we can stand against this disgusting agenda.”

Sara Flounders, from the International Action Center and a member of the steering committee for the Hands Off Syria Coalition, spoke about the how a Trump presidency will affect the war, stating “Donald Trump says he won't expand the war on Syria. But we should pay close attention to the people who he is appointing to office. This doesn't bode well for the war in Syria.” Flounders added, “It's the people in the streets who are the solution to this problem.”

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