Protests Erupt in Damascus Over Christmas Tree Burning as Syria Faces Political Shifts

 

Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in Christian neighborhoods of Damascus on Tuesday, protesting against the burning of a Christmas tree in the town of Suqaylabiyah, near Hama, in central Syria. The protests, driven by anger over the incident, saw protestors march toward the Orthodox patriarchate headquarters in the Bab Sharqi neighborhood, chanting, "We demand the rights of Christians."

The demonstration comes shortly after an armed coalition led by Islamist factions overthrew the government of President Bashar al-Assad, who had previously portrayed himself as a protector of minority groups in Syria. Many of the demonstrators expressed frustration over what they described as increasing discrimination against Christians. One protester, identified as Georges, shared his feelings with AFP, stating, "If we’re not allowed to live our Christian faith in our country, as we used to, then we don’t belong here anymore."

The unrest was sparked by a video circulating on social media showing masked fighters setting fire to a Christmas tree in Suqaylabiyah. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the attackers were foreign fighters from the Islamist group Ansar al-Tawhid. In a follow-up video, a religious leader from the Islamist faction Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the recent offensive against Assad's government, condemned the act, stating that those responsible were "not Syrian" and promised that the tree would be replaced and illuminated by the next morning.

HTS, a group with roots in al-Qaeda and supported by Turkey, has pledged to protect Syria’s minority communities following the success of its rapid offensive that ousted Assad’s regime. However, the country now faces an uncertain future as the new administration attempts to consolidate power. In a statement on Tuesday, Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, announced an agreement with former rebel factions to dissolve their groups and integrate them under the defense ministry.

The shift in power has also led to a significant movement of Syrian refugees. Turkey’s Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya, reported that more than 25,000 Syrians had returned to their homeland in the past two weeks, as the new leadership in Damascus takes shape. Turkey, which hosts nearly 3 million Syrian refugees, is hoping the political changes in Syria will encourage further voluntary repatriations.

Meanwhile, international concerns continue over security in Syria. On Monday, the US military carried out an airstrike in Deir ez-Zor province, killing two Islamic State operatives and wounding another. The operatives were reportedly transporting a truckload of weapons in an area once controlled by Syrian government forces and Russian troops when they were targeted.

As Syria navigates these turbulent times, the country’s Christian population, alongside other minority communities, faces an uncertain future amid the power struggles and shifting allegiances in the region.