BEIRUT (AP) – Asked on MSNBC’s Morning Joe on Thursday what he would do about the conflict in Aleppo, U.S. presidential candidate Gary Johnson replied, “what is Aleppo?”
In the U.S., his comments sparked debate over the lack of foreign policy discussions in these presidential elections. But for many Syrians it was an opportunity to vent their frustration and bring the world’s attention to one of Syria’s oldest cities, and the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in the five-year civil war.
Using the hashtag, #WhatIsAleppo, Facebook and Twitter users shared stories of its ancient history and its modern woes. Some posted pictures of Aleppo’s beautiful narrow streets and the 13th century citadel that towers over the city.
Others shared images of the destruction that has beset Aleppo, particularly its rebel-held neighborhoods, which were recently described by one rebel fighter as “like walking into Hiroshima.”
Many posted pictures of Aleppo’s residents, such as the iconic image of five-year-old Omran Daqneesh, photographed sitting on an orange chair, covered in dust, his pale face smeared with blood following an airstrike.