Thousands of people have protested in several cities across Syria after a video circulated showing an attack on an Alawite shrine in the north, a war monitor and witnesses said.
Syria's new regime said the video was “old” and that “unknown groups” were responsible for the attack, saying the “republishing” of the video was “stirring up controversy”, just a day after hundreds of people protested in Damascus against the government. the lighting of the Christmas tree.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that “thousands of people” took to the streets on Wednesday in large-scale demonstrations in the cities of Tartous and Latakia, regions in the heart of the Alawite minority, which ousted former dictator Bashar. and al-Assad.
SOHR also reported on protests between the city of Homs and Qardaha, al-Assad's hometown.
Witnesses said protests took place in Tartous, Latakia and nearby Jableh, while footage showed large crowds on the streets with some chanting, “Alawites, Sunnis, we want peace.”
State news agency SANA said police in central Homs imposed a curfew from 6pm (15:00 GMT) to 8am (05:00 GMT) on Thursday while authorities in Jableh and two other cities also announced night curfews.
SOHR said the protests came after a video began circulating on Wednesday showing a “militant attack” on an important Alawite shrine in the Maysaloon district of Syria's second-largest city, Aleppo. It said that five workers were killed and the temple was set on fire.
SOHR head Rami Abdel Rahman said that the video was filmed earlier this month after the opposition forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a lightning strike; captured major cities, including Aleppo on December 1; and deposed al-Assad a week later.
'Yes to a free Syria'
However, the Ministry of the Interior said on its Telegraph account that the video came from the rebels in Aleppo at the end of November and that the attacks were carried out by unknown groups, adding that whoever is publishing the video now seems to want to promote it. class conflict.
The ministry also said some members of the former government attacked Interior Ministry troops on the Syrian coast on Wednesday, leaving several people dead and wounded.
Protester Ali Daoud said thousands of people took part in the protests in Jableh, adding: “We want those who attacked this place to be held accountable.”
Footage shows large crowds marching through the streets to proclaim the rebel flag of the three-star regime.
“No, burning holy places is religious discrimination. No to sects. Yes to a free Syria,” one protest sign read.
In the city of Latakia, protesters denounced “disruptions” against the Alawite group, protester Ghidak Mayya, 30, said.
“At the moment, … we are listening to calls for calm,” he said, warning that too much pressure on the community “could lead to an explosion”.
Tartous resident and protester Alaa, 33, expressed concern that the situation could worsen, saying “one drop of blood puts us at risk of returning to a serious crisis”.
Al-Assad has long portrayed himself as the protector of Syria's Sunni Muslim-majority minority groups.
Alawites fear that the people of their community will come because of their religious minority and because of their long association with the al-Assad family.
On Tuesday, hundreds of protesters demonstrated in Christian areas of Damascus against the burning of a Christmas tree near Hama in central Syria. HTS promised to restore it as soon as possible.
The new leaders of the country have repeated it again and again promised to protect minority religious groups, who fear that the former insurgents who now rule may seek to establish a conservative government.