Syrian civil war, also known as the Syrian uprising (), or Syrian crisis (), is an ongoing armed conflict in Syria. The Ba'ath government is fighting against people who want to remove this government. The conflict began on 15 March 2011, with demonstrations. These demonstrations were like demonstrations held in other Arab countries, which has been called the Arab Spring. Protesters in Syria demanded that President Bashar al-Assad resign. His family has held the presidency in Syria since 1971. Many of Assad's supporters are Shia while most of the opposition is Sunni.