Thousands of demonstrators gathered on Tuesday morning in the city of As-Suwayda, nestled in the picturesque Druze Mountains in the southern part of Syria, near the borders of Jordan and Israel. This significant turnout, coupled with tens of thousands partaking in a strike, marks the zenith of the ongoing Druze protests that have persisted for over a fortnight. The relentless wave of dissent poses an unprecedented challenge to the authority of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad's regime.
The preceding night witnessed yet another massive rally, this time at the heart of As-Suwayda itself. As the world's largest Druze city with a populace exceeding one hundred thousand, the city echoed with calls for regime condemnation and governmental transformation. What initially began as modest demonstrations against recurrent power and water shortages, as well as an alarming spike in fuel prices across the nation, swiftly morphed into a vociferous anti-regime sentiment. The heavy-handed suppression tactics employed by the authorities catalyzed a swift shift in the demonstrators' focus, now directed squarely at the regime and its leader.
The protest took a dramatic turn when scores of protesters managed to breach the headquarters of Syria's ruling party, the Baath Party, situated within the city. Welding the entrance shut as they gained control of the building, the demonstrators asserted that this was a key hub from which the regime attempted to quell their dissent. Moreover, they proudly claimed to have successfully ousted the party's militants from the city, a symbolic victory for the resolute protesters.
From the southern province of Suwaydah today, chants of "Long live #Syria and Down with Bashar al-Assad." The five-colored flag is the flag of the Druze Monotheists, an esoteric religion that practices dissimulation to evade Muslim prosecution. https://t.co/1MPDwPoT5k
ā Hussain Abdul-Hussain (@hahussain) August 28, 2023
At the heart of the protests are the vibrant Druze national flags, mirroring the emblem flown by Israeli-Druze communities. Resounding chants and slogans denouncing the regime and its leader, Bashar Assad, dominate the atmosphere. A spokesperson for the demonstrators conveyed a pointed message to Assad through a local news channel, stating, "The Druze people beseech you, Bashar Assad, to vacate Syria immediately. Your presence is unwelcome. Two choices lie before you: an honorable departure or death."
As-Suwayda has been under the firm grip of the Assad regime since the onset of the protracted civil war in 2011. Throughout the course of the uprising in the southern reaches of the country, and extending into 2018, the city faced grave threats from extremist factions like Jabhat Al-Nusra and ISIS. To safeguard Druze settlements in the region, a local Druze militia emerged. However, discontent simmered within the Druze community due to perceived neglect from the regime. They voiced concerns that they were inadequately equipped to effectively counter the threats they faced.
Nationwide protests on Friday in solidarity with As-#Suwayda
ā Mohammed Alaa Ghanem (@MhdAGhanem) August 25, 2023
Demonstrations across northern #Syria showed solidarity with southern revolutionary protests, spanning Marea, Afrin, Al-Bab, Al-Atareb where demonstrators raised the Druze flag in solidarity, Azaz, Jisr Al-Shugur,ā¦ pic.twitter.com/gByjy19wRT
Significantly, the Druze population in southern Syria shares a close bond with their counterparts residing in the Golan Heights, an area claimed by Israel. Shared interests align the destinies of these two communities, transcending political borders. A noteworthy aspect of this synergy is that an upheaval among Syrian Druze could potentially resonate with Israeli Golan Druze, who have themselves been protesting certain construction endeavors undertaken by the Israeli government in the region.
