#SummerInSyria Campaign Did Not Go According To Plan!

Syria has been suffering from civil war since early 2011 when initial unrest against the ruling regime under Assad was inspired by the Arab Spring.

A social media campaign was launched in June by Syria’s state English-language news agency called Syrian Arab News Agency [SANA] with associated hashtag #SummerInSyria asking users to “snap us your moments of summer” using the hashtag.

Now that #summer is upon us, snap us your moments of summer in #Syria using the hashtag #SummerInSyria pic.twitter.com/sutvUuZUoj

— SANA English (@SANA_English) June 22, 2015

#Damascus #Syria 13/8/2015 #SummerInSyria pic.twitter.com/Mkezx2YvLX

— SANA English (@SANA_English) August 15, 2015

Twitter Users Hijack Syria’s #SummerInSyria Campaign//

The campaign didn’t go exactly as planned.  Asking people to share pictures of their summer has backfired as Twitter users chosen to share photos of the bloody conflict they witness!

Using the hashtag #SummerInSyria, many Twitter users have been using the same hashtag to share photos where no fancy beaches or, pool fun included as expected!

https://twitter.com/HopeSarout/status/623923288968982529

https://twitter.com/al_7aleem/status/613337989888937985

https://twitter.com/Sungmanitu59/status/634101496406274049

One month in one city. #SummerinSyria. @TheSyriaCmpgn http://t.co/NzK6DiP7pJ pic.twitter.com/mGcam0FH67

— SAMS (@sams_usa) August 6, 2015

Moreover, Frontline documentary reporter Martin Smith meet Syria’s tourism minister Besher Yaziji in the city of Homs where the minister working hard to put on a good face for his campaign.