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| Syrian refugee 'felt oppressed' by Stop the War protest | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Syrian refugee who was shouted down at a Stop the War demonstration says he "felt oppressed" by the group. | A Syrian refugee who was shouted down at a Stop the War demonstration says he "felt oppressed" by the group. |
| The protest in Downing Street on Friday evening was against the American attack on a Syrian airbase. | The protest in Downing Street on Friday evening was against the American attack on a Syrian airbase. |
| Hassan Akkad, from Damascus, asked why the group was not protesting against President Assad instead, but was drowned out. | Hassan Akkad, from Damascus, asked why the group was not protesting against President Assad instead, but was drowned out. |
| He said: "British people not letting a Syrian say something about Syria in a protest about Syria. It's mad." | He said: "British people not letting a Syrian say something about Syria in a protest about Syria. It's mad." |
| 'Baseless slogans' | 'Baseless slogans' |
| The 29-year-old said he had wanted to be the voice of Syrians who were still in the country but left the protest "livid". | The 29-year-old said he had wanted to be the voice of Syrians who were still in the country but left the protest "livid". |
| Stop the War was founded in September 2001, after US president George W Bush announced a "war on terror". | Stop the War was founded in September 2001, after US president George W Bush announced a "war on terror". |
| After a video of the encounter was shared widely online, Mr Akkad told the BBC: "I didn't see them protesting against the chemical attacks, I didn't see them protesting against Putin bombing Syria for the last two years. | After a video of the encounter was shared widely online, Mr Akkad told the BBC: "I didn't see them protesting against the chemical attacks, I didn't see them protesting against Putin bombing Syria for the last two years. |
| "I wanted to go to that protest and I wanted to observe. | "I wanted to go to that protest and I wanted to observe. |
| "I went to the protest and I saw a group of 30 people with placards, not a single mention of Assad. | "I went to the protest and I saw a group of 30 people with placards, not a single mention of Assad. |
| "All the placards are against Donald Trump and they're repeating baseless slogans with their megaphones." | "All the placards are against Donald Trump and they're repeating baseless slogans with their megaphones." |
| He added: "I went to them respectfully and said, 'Listen I'm a Syrian refugee who lives here and I have an opinion, it's a protest about Syria I want to say something'. | He added: "I went to them respectfully and said, 'Listen I'm a Syrian refugee who lives here and I have an opinion, it's a protest about Syria I want to say something'. |
| "They didn't even address me, they ignored my existence. With their megaphones they went louder and louder and the organisers told them to carry on." | "They didn't even address me, they ignored my existence. With their megaphones they went louder and louder and the organisers told them to carry on." |
| Mr Akkad left Syria in September 2015. He says he was imprisoned twice and tortured for protesting against Assad's regime. | Mr Akkad left Syria in September 2015. He says he was imprisoned twice and tortured for protesting against Assad's regime. |
| He left his family there and made an 87-day journey to the UK. | He left his family there and made an 87-day journey to the UK. |
| Mr Akkad said when the US launched its attack on a Syrian airbase, it did so with "great accuracy" whereas, he said, Assad's bombers "literally shred people down". | Mr Akkad said when the US launched its attack on a Syrian airbase, it did so with "great accuracy" whereas, he said, Assad's bombers "literally shred people down". |
| "They [President's Assad's forces] have killed hundreds of thousands, we've lost our home, we were displaced, we were made refugees all because of the Assad regime," he said. | "They [President's Assad's forces] have killed hundreds of thousands, we've lost our home, we were displaced, we were made refugees all because of the Assad regime," he said. |
| "People were tortured to death, chemical attacks, all sort of attacks barrel bombs shredding children and flattening down entire cities. | "People were tortured to death, chemical attacks, all sort of attacks barrel bombs shredding children and flattening down entire cities. |
| "So bombing Assad's war machines is in our favour because that means less Syrian civilians will die, less children will die." | "So bombing Assad's war machines is in our favour because that means less Syrian civilians will die, less children will die." |
| After the group would not let Mr Akkad speak, he said: "I felt oppressed, it was like being back in Syria. Like how the Syrian police used to mute our voices. | After the group would not let Mr Akkad speak, he said: "I felt oppressed, it was like being back in Syria. Like how the Syrian police used to mute our voices. |
| "I'm not going to be silenced I have the right to say what I believe. | "I'm not going to be silenced I have the right to say what I believe. |
| "I left the protest. I was angry, I was livid." | "I left the protest. I was angry, I was livid." |
| A spokeswoman for Stop the War said: "This was an anti-war protest. There are Syrians who support Western bombing of Syria, and Syrians who oppose it. | A spokeswoman for Stop the War said: "This was an anti-war protest. There are Syrians who support Western bombing of Syria, and Syrians who oppose it. |
| "Those who support it have protests calling for intervention. This was an anti-intervention event. Of course his voice can and should be heard. | "Those who support it have protests calling for intervention. This was an anti-intervention event. Of course his voice can and should be heard. |
| "But it would be strange if Stop the War gave a platform to people who supported bombing." | "But it would be strange if Stop the War gave a platform to people who supported bombing." |
| Video courtesy of Tehmoor Khalid. | Video courtesy of Tehmoor Khalid. |