Little Amal Leeds: Large crowds gather to welcome giant Syrian refugee puppet to Millennium Square

By Abbey Maclure
Published 20th Jun 2022, 19:32 BST
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Large crowds gathered in Leeds this evening to welcome Little Amal to the city centre.

The giant puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee made her way from Briggate to Millennium Square, joined by brass bands, drummers and hundreds of onlookers.

Little Amal, designed to highlight the plight of child refugees, became an international symbol of human rights after she journeyed from the Turkish-Syrian border to Manchester last July.

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On Sunday, the 3.5m puppet began her New Steps New Friends tour, visiting 10 towns and cities across England to share her resilient and hopeful message: “Don’t forget about us.”

The giant puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee made her way from Briggate to Millennium SquareThe giant puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee made her way from Briggate to Millennium Square
The giant puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee made her way from Briggate to Millennium Square

Zoe Scott-Fitzgibbon, community partnerships manager at Opera North, was delighted to join the crowds at the event - and hopes the show of support will have a positive impact on refugees and asylum seekers living in Leeds.

Opera North gained Theatre of Sanctuary status in 2018 for its work supporting refugees, including hosting workshops and giving out free tickets to its shows.