Libraries, clinics, hospitals, schools, soup kitchens and more - all organised by the people who belonged to their communities.

There’s nothing romantic about all of this. There were challenges, ups and downs, loads of failures, but also an extraordinary amount of successes. The anarchist Omar Aziz pointed out, correctly, that Syrians lasted more than the Paris commune.

As an anarchist I believe that any effort, however flawed, that contributes to a freer world ought to be supported, even if critically. This is why I believe that the Left, broadly speaking, almost everywhere, failed Syrians.

In the 13 years since 2011, as the prisons continued to be filled and turned into the living hells we saw in Saydnaya, the global anti-carceral movement largely ignored Syria.

The Western pro-Palestine movement attacked and condemned Syrians and Syrian-Palestinians for revolting against Assad.

The absolute minimum right now is for everyone who failed to listen when the screams were at their loudest - when Aleppo fell, when Homs was decimated, when Daraya was emptied, when Yarmouk was starved, when Daraa’s kids were tortured, when Ghouta was gassed - to be humble and reflect.