The Syrian revolution — which has since morphed into a full-blown civil war — began with a Arab Spring "Day of Rage" on March 15, 2011, when a group of 200 mostly young protesters gathered in the Syrian capital of Damascus to demand reforms and the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. As peaceful protests spread, the Assad regime met them with an iron fist. The a British-trained optometrist lifted the the country’s decades-old state of emergency sent tanks into restive cities as security forces opened fire on demonstrators. As the crackdown continued into the summer, thousands of soldiers defected and began launching attacks against the government and foreign governments began making arrangements to help the opposition. Going into 2012, hopes for a internal-brokered ceasefire dissipated as foreign fighters entered the country to support both sides and fighting became more intense. This collection present Business Insider's best coverage from February 2012 to present day, showing the arc of the conflict as it went from a domestic revolution to a proxy war to a full-blown sectarian conflict fueled by radical jihadists and outside forces that has spilled over Syria's borders. We'll keep adding to it as the war rages on.
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