Yesterday saw protests of arguably unprecedented violence in the southern Syrian province of al-Suwayda' (whose population is majority Druze), as some protestors assaulted and set fire to the provincial government building, while also burning images of Syria's president Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian flag. In addition, live ammunition was fired, which resulted in the killing of at least one protestor and one policeman.
As of the time of writing, a cautious sense of calm has returned to the town of al-Suwayda'. The protests that occurred yesterday have the same primary motivations as previous rounds of protests: discontent with the deteriorating quality of life, poor services provision and perceived government corruption. In contrast with the views of some others in government-held areas, the protestors in al-Suwayda' do not necessarily see sanctions as the main cause of Syria's deteriorating economic situation, though that does no mean sanctions play no role.
Below is an interview conducted yesterday with a teacher based in al-Suwayda' province regarding the protests. The interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
[Click the link below to continue reading, free access]:
https://aymennaltamimi.substack.com/p/the-suwayda-protests-interview