Protests against expropriation laws in Damascus

Dozens of residents, farmers and agricultural workers from Al-Bajaa, Al-Sabboura and Qudsaya held a protest today outside the People’s Assembly in Damascus against expropriation laws that the General Housing Establishment has used to serve private interests and allocate land to private companies to establish private residential complexes and housing projects. They called for the return of the land to its owners.

According to ANHA correspondent, the protesters raised slogans condemning the expropriation of people’s properties since the 1980s, describing the issue as a red line, particularly when expropriation is directed toward private interests and in violation of the Constitution, which stipulates that expropriation must serve the public interest only. They also said that expropriation expires 10 years after the expropriation decision if it has not been implemented.

The protesters raised slogans including, “No to expropriation laws,” “No to old-rent laws,” “No to the laws of the fallen Baath Party,” and “No to Assad’s hateful laws.” They also called for ending expropriation in Moadamiyat Al-Sham and Kafr Sousa and repealing Decree No. 66, which provided for the establishment of Marota City, after more than 50 percent of the city has already been completed.

Shujaa, a resident of Al-Bajaa whose land was expropriated by the Housing Establishment for public benefit but is now being used for private interests, said: “Give us back our land and our freedom to dispose of our property.”

Meanwhile, a young man named Ammar held a sign calling for the restoration of rights to Moadamiyat Al-Sham, referring to Mezzeh Airport and the eastern neighborhood.

A young man from Kafr Sousa who declined to give his name said: “No one on Earth has more right to my land than I do. Land prices in our area are extremely high, making it the most expensive area in Damascus, while we are poor and cannot even afford food.”

A woman in her fifties categorically rejected the conversion of agricultural land in Al-Bajaa and the Qudsaya suburb into real estate development projects for private companies. She said: “We are the rightful owners of our land, and we reject looting and displacement.”

The protesters called for the cancellation of all expropriations, the restoration of rights to their owners, and the rejection of decisions issued by Bashar al-Assad and his father, whom they described as criminals.

A-H 

ANHA