Southern Syria: Anti-Gov't Protest Turns Deadly

Facts

• Dozens of angry protesters chanting anti-government slogans stormed the governor’s office in the southern Syrian city of Suwayda on Sunday and set fire to parts of the building amid a heavy exchange of gunfire, the authorities and witnesses reported.
• A protester and a police officer were allegedly killed, according to both independent and state media. It's unclear who shot first, as local independent media has reported that security forces fired into the crowd.
• According to the Syrian interior minister, however, the protesters shot first, firing randomly and ultimately hitting other protesters. A local activist reported that four others were taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds.
• The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the protesters also tore down a large picture of Syrian Pres. Bashar al-Assad from the building's façade.
• Reuters, citing witnesses, reported that more than 200 people gathered around the building calling for the overthrow of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad amid worsening economic conditions, food insecurity, and an energy crisis. Syria's interior ministry in response has vowed to "pursue the outlaws" and "take legal measures" against them.
• The Suwayda governorate is Syria's Druze heartland, a community that has largely stayed neutral in the country's civil war, which has killed nearly 500k people. The governorate is notoriously insecure, as the government's security presence in the region is minimal.

Sources: Guardian, Al Mayadeen, Trt World, BBC News, Reuters, and Npasyria

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by CFR. Though it has been almost 12 years since the onset of the Syrian revolution, Syrians from all walks of life continue to demand freedom and dignity. Meanwhile, the Assad regime has only become more authoritarian and barbaric, killing hundreds of thousands and destroying its own country just to stay in power. As Syria's financial condition worsens and the state fails to provide basic amenities, such protests will only escalate. Assad's grip on power is hanging by a thread.
• Narrative B, as provided by New Arab. It would be dangerous to call the criminal gangs sabotaging the region protesters. These armed thugs have become professionals in all illegal activities, including drug trade and kidnappings, and seek to destabilize an already insecure region of Syria. Though the government has chosen to take a hands-off approach in Suwayda, it cannot allow outlaws to run wild, killing civilians and members of the security forces with abandon.