HAMA, Syria — Residents of the city of Hama, 49 kilometers (30 miles) north of Homs, call it “the city of the massacre,” but it is still far from the battles continuing in the surrounding countryside. Since the Syrian army stormed the city in early August 2011, relative calm has prevailed in the city that witnessed some of the largest peaceful protests against the Syrian regime.

The Syrian army is heavily deployed on the outskirts of the city while cars line up at the main checkpoint at the entrance to the city. Photos of President Bashar al-Assad are widespread near Syrian army and intelligence checkpoints. The purpose of the random distribution of these photos is clear. The first signs of Hama’s opposition to the Syrian regime was the removal of a statue of former President Hafez al-Assad from between the wings of the stone eagle monument in the main square of the city.

With the sound of each shell launched from the city's military airport toward the countryside, faces of residents show clear expressions of anxiety and fear of the future. Only the sounds of the ancient Norias of Hama bring to mind a peace that the city has been lacking for so long.

The storming of the city by the Syrian army and the emergence of armed rebels in the countryside suppressed the local opposition, according to Sami al-Sayed, 23, who was active in the protests. “The majority of Hama residents oppose the regime and this is well known. Today we are fighting the regime with our will and desire for life,” he told Al-Monitor.