Karama Square in the center of the city of Suwayda, southern Syria, witnessed a new mass demonstration on Friday, as part of the protests that have been ongoing for more than a month to demand the departure of President Bashar al-Assad. This comes as the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria said that the country is still unsafe for the return of Syrian refugees and called on the Syrian regime to respond to the legitimate aspirations and rights of Syrians.
Local media and activists broadcast pictures and videos of Al Karama Square in Suwayda, filled with crowds of protesters demanding political change, freedom and justice. The demonstrators chanted slogans demanding Assad’s departure and raised slogans demanding this and the implementation of International Resolution No. 2254 regarding Syria.
# witnessAl Karama Square is shaking with chants demanding the departure of Bashar al-Assad, today, Friday.#Suwayda_Demonstrations pic.twitter.com/iSz88V3TuF
– Suwayda 24 (@suwayda24) September 22, 2023
Since Friday morning, crowds have flocked from various parts of Suwayda Governorate and its countryside to participate in the Friday demonstrations, and the night before that witnessed night demonstrations and lighting of candles in honor of the souls of those killed by the Syrian regime since the start of demonstrations demanding the departure of Assad in March 2011, which the regime bloodily suppressed, leading to a conflict. Armed since then.
At the entrance to the town of Qanawat in the countryside of Suwayda, activists and local media broadcast videos and pictures of protesters removing, on Thursday evening, a large, decades-old picture of the late President Hafez al-Assad (Bashar al-Assad’s father) from the entrance to the town of Qanawat.
Protesters hung a picture of a dove, symbolizing peace, in place of the picture of Assad the Father, and a second picture of the leader of the Great Syrian Revolution, Sultan Pasha al-Atrash.
In pictures: Al-Karama Square was completely filled with crowds of demonstrators demanding freedom, justice and political change, according to pictures monitored by the Suwayda 24 camera, today, Friday.#Suwayda_Demonstrations pic.twitter.com/drTlGYPyqH
– Suwayda 24 (@suwayda24) September 22, 2023
It is noteworthy that the recent protests began after the Syrian regime’s decision in mid-August to lift fuel subsidies, in the midst of an economic crisis that is suffocating Syrians after more than 12 years of a devastating conflict.
The protests began in the southern governorates of Daraa and Suwayda, but their momentum continued in Suwayda, which has a Druze majority, which has been witnessing intermittent movements in protest against poor living conditions for years.
Pineiro urged the Syrian regime to pay attention and respond positively to the aspirations and rights of Syrians (Reuters)
Unsafe return
Meanwhile, the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria said on Friday that what it described as the current stalemate in Syria is intolerable, as the country is still unsafe for the return of refugees, calling on the parties to allow humanitarian aid to enter. This was stated in a report submitted by Committee Chairman Paulo Pinheiro to the United Nations Human Rights Council, which Damascus rejected, describing it as a biased approach and a waste of time.
“There are no final winners, and the country remains unsafe for the return of refugees,” Pineiro added. He continued, “Before Syria sinks deeper into escalating violence and economic deterioration, we call on key actors to stop attacks on civilians and respond to their dire needs.”
Pineiro also urged the Syrian regime to pay attention and respond positively to the legitimate aspirations and rights of Syrians.
He pointed out that Syrian youth are fleeing in large numbers, leaving behind “a fragmented country, a paralyzed economy, and destroyed homes because they no longer believe they have a future in their homeland.”
Source: Al Jazeera + Anatolia + social networking sites
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2023-09-22 22:50:57
