Shafaq News – Suwayda

Residents of Syria’s Suwayda province held a solidarity gathering on Wednesday, expressing support for the recent protests that have erupted in parts of the coastal provinces, Homs, and Hama.

Demonstrators condemned what they described as smear campaigns and incitement targeting civilians who took part in those protests, arguing that “the accusations mirror the same pressures faced by early protesters at the onset of the 2011 Syrian uprising.”

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Activist Nawras al-Afees told Shafaq News that Wednesday’s gathering in Suwayda is part of an ongoing civil movement demanding the protection of the province’s residents and their rights. He said the protest also aimed to show solidarity with Alawite communities in Homs and the coastal region, “in support of their peaceful movement against repression, marginalization, and restrictions imposed by the Syrian government and its loyalists.”

The provinces of Latakia, Tartus, and Hama saw rare demonstrations involving hundreds of young men from the Alawite community, following calls issued by several Alawite religious figures, most prominently Ghazal Ghazal. Participants carried banners calling for federalism, an end to killings, and the adoption of decentralization.

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