Scattered protests in Syria call for improved living conditions, rights, services

Several Syrian provinces witnessed protests and demonstrations today addressing service-related, living, educational, and rights-related issues. Contract teachers continued their sit-in outside the Ministry of Education in Damascus for the second consecutive week, while transport drivers at the Nassib border crossing in the Daraa countryside protested the mechanism for organizing cargo loads. Residents of villages in the Swedia countryside also held a protest that resulted in the partial closure of the Damascus–Swedia road. At the same time, students staged a protest demanding that examination centers be moved to the city of Swedia.

In Damascus, a number of contract teachers continued their sit-in outside the Ministry of Education building for the second consecutive week, demanding solutions to their employment conditions. They stressed that their protest represents thousands of teachers who have been unable to participate or travel to the capital due to financial and geographical circumstances.

The protesters' demands center on including all contract teachers in the renewal decision without excluding any of them. They are also calling for contract renewals to be carried out in the provinces where married female teachers reside, as well as for the cancellation of the decision requiring them to return to their provinces of origin, which they say imposes financial and social burdens. In addition, they are demanding permanent employment for teachers who have worked for five years or more, and an end to the instability caused by continued employment under temporary contracts.

The protesters said that the continuation of their sit-in for a second week without any official from the Ministry of Education meeting with them or listening directly to their demands reflects, in their view, the absence of serious efforts to address the situation of thousands of contract teachers. They called for direct dialogue with them and for solutions that would guarantee job stability, which in turn would contribute to the stability of the educational process.

In Daraa Governorate, a number of transport vehicle drivers held a protest in the square of the Nassib border crossing and partially blocked the road leading out of the square. They were protesting the mechanism for organizing transport operations and cargo loads, and demanded that all cargo be subject to the Office for the Regulation of Freight Transport, that Decision No. 31 be enforced, and that the use of the “special slip” be abolished. According to the protesters, these measures would ensure a fair distribution of employment opportunities among drivers.

Drivers said that the “freedom of transport” system introduced following the fall of the former regime was accompanied, as they described it, by the continued use of the special slip and the existence of what they called fictitious rotation offices. This has reduced opportunities for drivers registered in the actual queue, they said, with some drivers potentially remaining without work for around ten days. They also accused traders and customs clearance agents of controlling cargo loads and their fees.

The protesters also spoke about damage to the truck fleet during the years of war and the age of some vehicles, in addition to difficulties obtaining entry visas and renewing the driving certificates required by neighboring countries. They called on the relevant authorities to intervene to address these problems and to reconsider allowing Saudi trucks to enter Syrian territory, in a way that would ensure equal opportunities among drivers.

In Suwayda, dozens of civilians from several villages in the western and northern countryside gathered at the Umm al-Zaytoun crossing and held a sit-in that resulted in the partial closure of traffic heading from Swedia toward Damascus. They were protesting their continued displacement from their villages and homes and demanding that the necessary conditions be created for their return, as well as the withdrawal of forces stationed in their areas.

The protesters allowed ambulances and critical emergency cases, holders of travel permits, and vehicles transporting essential goods to pass. Traffic coming toward Swedia continued, while the sit-in caused delays for a number of cars and buses and forced other vehicles to turn back during the protest.

Residents stressed that their action was intended to demand their right to return safely to their villages and homes, end the causes of their displacement, and provide security guarantees to protect residents. At the same time, the partial closure of the road has caused frustration among some civilians because of its impact on patients, students, employees, truck drivers, and movement between Swedia and Damascus.

At the same time, the city of Swedia witnessed a protest attended by students and their families, objecting to the administration of the exceptional examination session in the northern countryside. They demanded that the examination centers be moved to the city center to facilitate students' access and reduce the burdens associated with transportation.

ANHA