The city of Al Sueida, in southern Syria, has become an epicenter of protests against the Bashar al-Assad regime. Thousands of people gathered in Al Karama Square this Friday, September 8, chanting slogans against the president and demanding better living conditions. Al Sueida has become a symbol of growing social unrest in the country, which is mired in a deepening economic crisis.
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The southern Syrian city of Al Sueida has emerged as a rare hotspot for anti-government protests that openly challenge President Bashar al-Assad, tearing down photos of the president from state institutions.
This Friday, September 8, hundreds of people gathered in Al Karama Square, chanting slogans against the president. “We raised our voices and Assad ran scared!” or “Hey Bashar, we don’t want you!” some said.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the place was attended by thousands of people and it was the largest demonstration since the start of the protests, which began three weeks ago, to demand better living conditions and the removal of Al-Asad from power.
The more pronounced number of protesters is explained by the arrival of multiple people from other areas of the country.
Demonstrations intensified in response to the removal of fuel subsidies and the continuing economic crisis plaguing the country. In addition, they have spread to other parts of Syrian territory, such as Idlib, considered the last opposition bastion in Syria.
At other protests earlier in the week, protesters vandalized regime symbols, including the portrait of the president’s father, former President Hafez al-Assad. Some actions that demonstrate the growing rejection against Al-Assad, who has been clinging to power for more than 20 years.
Unusual protests in Al Sueida
The protests are not unusual, since Al Sueida has been considered a city loyal to the government. However, in recent days it has become a symbol of the growing social unrest in the country.
Al Sueida is the capital of a province of the same name, whose population is mostly Druze. The Druze are followers of a 10th-century branch of Shia Islam and made up 5% of the Syrian population before the war.
During the civil war, the city has remained in the hands of the Government and has not been affected in such a pronounced way by the violence that has been present in other parts of Syrian territory.
According to the AlSueida24 network of activists, quoted by the EFE news agency, the protests will continue in the southern city and on Fridays, the holy day for Muslims, “massive protests” will be held.
Where does the discontent come from?
Last month, the Syrian government announced a significant increase in the prices of gasoline and other petroleum products as part of its strategy to reduce costly subsidies that have been weighing on its public finances. A measure that is part of a prolonged economic crisis, exacerbated by a civil war that has plagued the country for more than ten years.
The country is dealing with rampant hyperinflation, marked by a record depreciation of the local currency. The Syrian lira has hit a new all-time low, with a value as high as 15,500 Syrian liras to a dollar on the black market.
The situation has also affected local transport services in the capital, Damascus, where some taxi drivers and public buses have carried out a partial stoppage.
The current panorama seems to deepen the crisis that the country is going through, which worsened after the earthquakes that hit the northeast of the country. According to UN data, collected by EFE, 90% of its population lives below the poverty line.
With EFE, Reuters and local media
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