The group of boys, consisting of boys aged 12-16 stared at the school walls blankly for years. Wondering why it was never renovated. Why it looked the same as it did more than 40 years ago. Did they not have the right to redecorate their school? They decided it was time to change the way the wall looked. With their graffiti and markers they wrote slogans they had learnt from children in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. They demanded change.

With that they all laughed nervously at their bravery and returned home feeling somehow liberated; a feeling children only dreamed they had in Syria. Little did they know they had to pay for that sensation. When the sun went down and sleep paralyzed all sensations, heavy footsteps were heard near the old school walls. Every single boy who saw, drew or even supported the slogans on the wall was awoken violently that night. The boys were dragged out of their homes by large armed men wearing uniforms. Their parents screamed and shoved the armed men helplessly. They were paying the price for years of silence.

Unable to understand their crime the boys cried as they were put together in small pickups and jeeps. They were dragged to small humid cells and beaten by large men. A kick in the rib for contemplating change; a blow in the face for asking for change; and a crack in the spine for feeling liberated. They sat in their cells for weeks, beaten and humiliated on a daily basis. As a final warning, their nails were yanked out of their fingers to teach them to never draw on the old wall.

Whoever survived the torture was later returned home, swollen and crushed. The dead were lucky to have never lived life to see the fate of the Syrian children in the future.

Family members and friends of the young boys swarmed the streets of the town of Daraa demanding justice be brought to those who tortured and killed their children. No one listened to them. Friends of friends and passerby’s later joined the angry group, forming a small demonstration. No one listened to their demands. The demonstration grew as more people were familiar with the recent events. There was finally a response. Live bullets and tear gas forced the crowds to split up the demonstrations temporarily. The demonstrations grew larger as angry crowds demanded for nothing but change and were not receiving it. The response was once again bullets and tear gas, however this time the bullets hit flesh. As more blood was spilt, the crowds grew more furious and larger.

The word about the demonstrations reached other provinces like Homs, Douma, Idlib and Damascus suburbs. Touched by the bravery of the little boys in Daraa, more little boys followed their example and drew on old walls. Demonstrations grew larger, demands progressed. People no longer wanted change and reformations; they wanted the complete removal of the old. They wanted Bashar Al Assad and his government to resign. While his grip tightened on his throne, more blood was spilt in demonstrations and more people grew aware of the situation.

The question is, what happened to the children? Did the government learn from their mistakes? Did they stop child torture and imprisonment? On the contrary, after the boys in Daraa, Hamza alkhateeb fell victim to their torture. His genitals mutilated, his body bruised from blows, arms dented with bullet holes and burns from cigarettes, and bones crushed. Him and thousands of children in Syria are paying the price for desiring what the boys in Daraa desired.

This revolution was ignited by the children, carried out by the children, and will be extinguished by the children.

The UN envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, on Sunday said the Security Council Resolution on deploying 300 observers to monitor the ceasefire in Syria was “a pivotal moment in the stabilization of the country”. The former UN secretary-general called on both Syrian government forces and opposition fighters to put down their arms and consolidate the ceasefire accord.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights confirmed 25 victims all killed on Sunday by the Syrian regime across the region despite the presence of the U.N observers.

The attack came one day after the violent assault carried out by the government forces in the Damascus suburb of Douma, 10 kilometers north of Damascus.

A video posted online by an activist showed smoke from shelling billowing into the sky over Douma. Heavy firing could be heard in the background.

UN observers also toured on Sunday the rebel city of Rastan in Homs province, according to Free Syrian Army spokesman Colonel Saadeddine Kassem who escorted them.

Later the observers visited the city of Hama farther north, including a square which witnessed massive anti-regime protests last year, activist Abu Ghazi Hamwi reported from the scene, Alarabiya reported.

In Hama, activists said soldiers opened fire at protesters as soon as the U.N. observers left the Arbaeen neighborhood. Generally Hama has been quieter since the ceasefire took effect, according to a local activist who identified himself as Musab. 

“We don’t see the tanks any more, they just hide them in government installations,” he told Reuters.

The Syrian TV SANA said the observers met the governor of Hama during the visit. Syrian authorities say “armed gangs” have continued  bombings against government targets.

The group of unarmed military monitors has been operating in Syria for a week, overseeing the ceasefire but failed to bring a complete halt to 13 months of bloodshed.

The UN Security Council agreed on Saturday to expand the mission to a 300-strong observer team, part of Annan’s plan to halt the killing and violence in Syria.

The resolution gives Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon authorization to decide when to deploy the additional monitors, based on developments on the grounds including the consolidation of the cease-fire. Ban Ki Moon will issue a  report to the council every 15 days.