Protests get away in Syria after Christmas tree burns

Protests have erupted in Syria following the burning of a Christmas tree close to the city of Hama.

A video posted on social media reveals masked gunmen setting fireplace to the tree displayed in the principle sq. of Suqaylabiyah, a predominantly Christian city in central Syria.

The primary Islamist faction that led the rebellion that toppled President Bashar al-Assad mentioned the boys chargeable for the arson had been international fighters and had been arrested and that the tree could be shortly repaired.

1000’s of protesters took to the streets throughout the nation, demanding that new Islamist leaders defend spiritual minorities.

Within the Bab Touma neighborhood of Damascus, protesters brandished a cross and Syrian flags, chanting “we’ll sacrifice our souls for our cross.”

“If we aren’t allowed to reside our Christian religion in our nation, as earlier than, then we not have our place right here,” a protester named Georges informed AFP.

Syria is house to many ethnic and spiritual teams, together with Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, Christians, Druze, Shiite Alawites, and Sunni Arabs, the latter making up nearly all of the Muslim inhabitants.

Simply over two weeks in the past, the presidency of Bashar al-Assad fell to insurgent forces, ending greater than 50 years of rule by the Assad household.

It stays to be seen how the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group will govern Syria. The group has a jihadist previous, from which it has distanced itself, and an Islamist current.

As fighters marched towards Damascus earlier this month, its leaders spoke of constructing a Syria for all Syrians.

The representatives additionally mentioned the rights and freedoms of spiritual and ethnic minorities could be protected.

HTS stays designated as a terrorist group by the United Nations, america, the European Union and the UK, though there are indicators {that a} diplomatic change could also be underway.

Friday, US removed $10m (£7.9m) bounty on the head of HTS chief Ahmed al-Sharaa, following conferences between senior diplomats and representatives of the group.

The US continues its navy presence in Syria: it mentioned it carried out an airstrike within the northern metropolis of Deir Ezzor that killed two ISIS operatives.

The presence of international fighters, Islamic extremists like ISIS and even supporters of the regime who’ve an curiosity in sowing insecurity and attacking minorities to undermine the steadiness of the nation represent the good problem that the brand new Islamic leaders will face. .