Hundreds of Syrians in the primarily Druze city of Sweida took to the streets for the fifth consecutive day, voicing their discontent with deteriorating economic conditions and demanding the departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Protests ignited last week due to abrupt and significant gasoline price increases, drawing residents to the central square of this southwestern city, as reported by witnesses and civic activists.
Prominent Druze religious leaders, who were previously supportive of the government, convened for the first time since the protests began. They acknowledged the right to peaceful protest against government policies but refrained from endorsing the widespread calls for Assad’s resignation.
Protesters, who had burned a massive poster of Assad in the main square the day before, chanted slogans like “Go, go, Assad. We want to eat.” These chants evoked memories of the pro-democracy protests in 2011, which were brutally suppressed by security forces, marking the onset of a prolonged and violent conflict.
Security sources indicated that authorities in Damascus are taking cautious measures to prevent any escalation in Sweida.
Throughout the conflict, Sweida has remained under government control, with its Druze minority resisting involvement in the civil war that has primarily pitted Sunni rebels against Assad’s rule.
Syria is grappling with a severe economic crisis, marked by a currency collapse that has resulted in skyrocketing prices for essential goods. The government of Assad attributes this crisis to Western sanctions.
The protests in Sweida are raising concerns among officials that they could spread to coastal areas along the Mediterranean, which are strongholds of Assad’s minority Alawite sect. Recently, there have been rare calls for strikes by activists in these regions, according to security sources and diplomats.
While state media has not reported on the protests, pro-government commentators have blamed foreign powers for fueling the unrest and warned of the potential for broader chaos if the protests persist.
