Kuwaitis protest Aleppo outside Russian Embassy

Kuwaitis protesters hold Russian flags bearing a black cross during a demonstration outside the Russian embassy to condemn Moscow’s support of the Syrian regime. (AFP)

BEIRUT: Hundreds of Kuwaitis have gathered outside the Russian Embassy demanding a halt to the violence in Aleppo, where Moscow is helping Syrian regime forces drive rebels from their last enclave. 
The crowds gathered Wednesday were drawn from various backgrounds, and included both liberals and Islamists. Protesters carried pictures of Syrian children and posters of Bashar Assad with a swastika.
Parliament member Jamaan Al-Herbish demanded that his country sever ties with Russia because of its support for Assad. He also called for Kuwait to allow more Syrians into the country, saying “we have to support our fellow Arab brothers and sisters against the attacks and crimes by the Syrian regime and its allies.”
Former parliament member Ahmad Al-Shahoomi called the fight for Aleppo a “battle against Sunni Islam.”
Kuwait is home to more than 130,000 Syrian nationals, according to Kuwaiti government statistics released in 2014. Kuwait was one of the first Gulf Arab countries to sever ties with Syria and pledge support to the rebels seeking to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Many Kuwait-based Syrians who need to renew their passports and apply for other government documents must either travel to Damascus or to the United Arab Emirates, where a Syrian Embassy is still open.