Screenshot from Suwayda24.
Aug. 24 (UPI) — Mass protests that broke out across government-controlled southern Syria over the past week continued Thursday, as Syrians took to the streets to protest the slashing of fuel subsidies and the repressive actions of the regime and its allies.
Videos posted online over the past week show protesters taking to the streets of Suweida, which is home to a majority Druze population.
In comparison to previous protests in the city, these demonstrations in Suweida stand out due to their larger scale and sustained nature. Protesters proudly wave multicolored flags representing the Druze religion and chant slogans from the 2011 revolution, such as “The people want the downfall of the regime” and “One one one, the Syrian people are one.”
They have also been captured on video chanting “Long live Syria, down with Bashar Assad” and burning a poster of the dictator. The protesters are demanding the removal of Russian and Iranian forces from Syria.
The Syrian government has tried to avoid antagonizing members of the Druze religion, but it was accused of assassinating prominent Druze leader Sheikh Wahid al-Balous in 2015. Al-Balous had called on Druze youth to resist serving in the regime military, supported the overthrow of the government, and formed the militia known as “The Men of Dignity.” His assassination led to the killing of six regime loyalists in retaliation, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
In 2022, a Druze militia defeated a pro-government militia led by loyalist enforcer Raji Falhout, who was accused of terrorizing residents.
The city of Daraa, which is predominantly Sunni, rebelled against the government in 2011, pushing regime forces out of the area. However, it fell back under regime control in 2018 under a Russian-brokered agreement that allowed residents to have some control over local affairs.
This week, Daraa saw protesters gathering at the Omari Mosque, which was a major protest site during the early days of the 2011 uprising before being partially destroyed during Syrian regime bombardments.
In addition to the challenges from Druze and Sunni populations, the Assad regime also faces opposition from members of the Alawite religion, which the Syrian dictator’s family belongs to. While the government considers Alawite Syrians as their main support base, recent developments have revealed discontent within the community. The “10th of August Movement,” believed to be comprised of Alawites, has called for better wages and improved access to electricity. Prominent Alawite member Ahmed Ibrahim Ismail publicly criticized the government in a TV interview, only to be detained shortly after.
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