Deadly protests across Syria highlight a deteriorating humanitarian situation?

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has highlighted that thousands of people took to the streets on Christmas Day, staging major demonstrations in the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartous. There have also been protests in Homs and Qardaha.

Thousands of Syrians protested across the country on December 25 as a video circulated representing an attack on an Alawite shrine in the north, according to media reports. It came days after protests in Damascus against the torching of a Christmas tree.

The SOHR monitor said the video reflected “an attack by fighters” on an important shrine. The video was filmed earlier this month after opposition rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) ousted long-time leader Bashar al-Assad, SOHR chief added.

Alawites fear a backlash against their community

But the Syrian Ministry of Interior said on its official Telegram account that the aforementioned video dated back to the rebel offensive in late November and unidentified groups carried out the attack, adding that republishing the video served to stir up strife.

The ministry also stressed that some members of the former regime had launched an attack on Interior Ministry forces in the country’s coastal areas on December 25, injuring some people and claiming many other lives.

Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad long presented himself as a protector of minority groups. Alawites fear a backlash against their community both as a minority religious group and because of its long association with al-Assad’s family.

US and Russia designate HTS as terrorist organisation

Syria’s current rulers, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels, are facing unrest and protests. Since its takeover of Damascus, HTS – a former Al-Qaeda affiliate that includes many armed factions – has promised to protect minority religious groups.

But the UN and countries like the US and Russia have designated HTS as a terrorist organisation. HTS is made up mainly of groups from the extremist organisation Jabhat al-Nusra, earlier linked to Al-Qaeda. It has rebranded itself as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

Numerous campaigners, media reports and local monitors suggest that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham does not tolerate dissent. Syria Direct also reported that the group is behind the disappearances of campaigners and other serious issues.