Activists in Front of the White House, Copyright George Robert Newcomb
On July 23rd, the Syrian Emergency Task Force hosted a rally in front of the White House at Lafayette Park. The purpose of the rally was to call on the United States government to support freedom, democracy and justice in Syria. Since the Syrian Revolution in March, Assad’s security forces have killed over 1,700 innocent civilians as a means of suppressing peaceful protests. Protestors denounced the Assad regime and called for free elections, a free press, and freedom of expression in Syria. The keynote speaker was Award winning Syrian composer and pianist Malek Jandali who performed onstage. The rally lasted for four hours and had a large turnout despite the unbearable heat.
Rally to Free Syria, Copyright George Robert Newcomb
The Syrian Emergency Task Force is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. that works to convey the democratic aspirations of the Syrian people to the American public. The S.E.T.F. was created in order raise awareness in the United States of the continuing oppression in Syria. As an organization dedicated to peace and justice, S.E.T.F. supports humanitarian organizations in their efforts to help the Syrian people and bring the crimes committed by the regime who engaged in killing, torturing, or detainment to a lawful settlement through legal and peaceful means. Many of its members are first or second generation Syrians. In May, the group filed a lawsuit in order to bring the horrific crimes which have occurred in Syria to trial. The S.E.T.F. also has satellite groups in Illinois, California, Texas, New Jersey, and New York who are responsible for documenting Syrian testimony on crimes against humanity.
The organization consistently promotes action alerts. Currently, they are asking all activists to contact the White House, the State Department, and members of Congress to support freedom in Syria. They are calling on the Obama administration to:
- Issue a strong condemnation of the ongoing massacres in Syria, specifically the escalation in Dier Ez-Zour and Hama
- Pressure the UN Security Council to condemn the Syrian regime’s action
- Refer Assad and others to the International Criminal Court to be tried for crimes against humanity
- Lead a coalition of moderate Arab countries and European countries to increase pressure on the Assad regime to allow international media and human rights representatives into Syria.
S.E.T.F. encourages supporters to urge the State Department to support stronger measures against the Syrian regime, and to coordinate efforts to stop the regime from receiving economic assistant from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Additionally, the State Department should take the lead in sending emergency food and medical supplies to the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, and to request that Turkey provide full access to the Syrian refugee camps. Lastly, they advocate that activists should contact their Congressional representatives to make a statement on the Senate and House floor condemning Assad’s regime for its brutality and demanding his removal from Syria today.
For more information on how to get involved and support the Syrian Emergency Task Force, please visit their website: http://www.syrianemergencytaskforce.org/.
