Protests escalate again in As-Suwayda, rejecting the current economic and political reality

As outrage grew, the squares were again shaken by protests and demonstrations condemning widespread discontent, amidst growing murder and crime that merely served to fuel the unrest and division among the various components of Syrian society.

On this note, political activists in As-Suwayda city marched today in al-Karama Square, protesting the deteriorating economic situation and the current political situation. They raised placards with is written with, "The de facto power juggles words and time, a clear game," "Is this transitional justice?", "Terrorism does not build nations, it destroys them," "There is no freedom for the Syrian people in the presence of occupiers," "The revolution continues," "Victims of terrorism are for the sake of a living," and "Assad did not fall in the presence of al-Julani."

Political activist Raad al-Shoufi stated in an interview with ANHA's agency that the need for which Syrians demonstrated at the beginning of the revolution to remove the old regime remains valid, after it was replaced by a new regime he termed "more unjust and corrupt" than the previous one.

Shoufi clarified that the general trend of the current government is not in line with the aspirations and dreams of Syrians and does not contribute to the building of a strong economy or a fair judicial system.

He believed that "the cultural scene is suffering from a stagnation in which one-sidedness is predominant." The color of discussion and institutions is clearly decaying and falling apart, while services are suffering from an open scarcity, causing outrage among Syrians on the rise.

Media activist Omar Askoul called for the establishment of a democratic civil state, claiming that "the current authority has stolen the revolution" and that it is controlled by "an extremist terrorist mentality that serves only its narrow interests and its own religion," and clearly marginalizing other Syrian components and groups.

Asakoul clarified that what is happening today is not the aspirations of Syrians who left years ago in the hope of freedom, dignity, and justice.

In a heart-wrenching scene that stirred anger and sadness, an activist empathized with the family of one of the victims, who had perished attempting to cross the Syrian-Lebanese border to find work to support his family. This came after the deteriorating economic situation that has pushed hundreds of Syrian families into poverty and starvation at the mercy of authorities branded by activists as "terrorist."

In an instant of the courage of Syrian women in resistance and opposition to oppression and injustice, Lubna Shatti, an activist of free women, protested along with others, expressing her discontent with what she referred to as "the injustice that has befallen us."

Shatti averred, "Yesterday they hijacked our revolution, and today they are hijacking our ambitions and goals of freedom, dignity, and stability." She continued further, "Syrian women, despite under siege, are still standing fast in the squares, making themselves heard demanding change."

Activist Muhib Jamoul noted that "the leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, Abu Muhammad al-Julani, who controls vast territories in the north of the country, graduated from a hardline Salafist school that does not believe in establishing a civil state that respects all components."

He reiterated that the free people's blood belongs to the people who have deprived them of their most basic rights, stating further that "the Syrian people today do not believe in religious and sectarian divisions, but rather demand a civil, democratic state that respects human rights."

Large stretches of Syria are experiencing an unprecedented economic collapse, widespread unemployment and poverty, and the breakdown of basic services such as healthcare and education, and growing popular discontent. Day by day, the demonstrations increase, engulfing more cities and villages, in a familiar tableau recalling the start of the popular revolt that began in 2011.

T/S

ANHA