Christians in Lebanon celebrated the downfall of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad over the weekend, gathering in town squares to launch fireworks and tear down Assad's pictures.
Among the most pleased were the Lebanese Forces Party (LF), a militia and political party with roots in Lebanon's civil war, led by Maronite Christian leader Bachir Gemayel, who was assassinated in 1982.
Dr. Samir Geagea, current LF leader, stated that Lebanese Christians have long blamed the Assad regime for Gemayel's murder, viewing it as part of a pattern of targeted killings to protect Syrian interests in Lebanon. Geagea called Assad's overthrow “the day of Bachir Gemayel” and urged Hezbollah to disarm, noting that Syria's new Sunni jihadist control would hinder Hezbollah's capabilities.
Lebanese media commemorated victims of Assad's regime, including Gemayel, and highlighted the dwindling Christian population in Syria, which has plummeted from 1.5 million in 2011 to under 300,000 today due to civil war and ISIS.