Rare protests in Syria resulted in clashes on Sunday that left at least two people dead. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, hundreds of people took to the streets in the predominantly Druze city of Suweida, in the south of the country, to protest against poor living conditions. Police intervened when protesters stormed a government building and removed a picture of President Bashar al-Assad from the facade.
“At least one protester and a policeman were killed,” said observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. The protester was shot dead by security forces.
Local news portal Suwayda24 also reported two deaths. Another four people were hospitalized with gunshot wounds. The Interior Ministry said a “group of bandits” had tried to break into the police headquarters, killing one officer. Some protesters were armed. Syrian state television reported that “offenders” broke into the provincial government building and set fire to official documents and archives.
More rationing announced
The Suweida region, south of the capital Damascus, is the main settlement area for the Druze, who made up about three percent of Syria’s population before the civil war. So far, they have remained outside the conflict. The provincial capital, Suweida, is under the control of government forces.
Syria’s economy is largely paralyzed as a result of years of civil war and Western sanctions. 90% of the population lives below the poverty line and 12.4 million people are affected by food insecurity, according to the UN. In Suweida and other cities there are also shortages of electricity and fuel. The government had announced more austerity measures in recent days, including electricity rationing. (apa, afp)