Syria: Protests Erupt Over Economy, Living Conditions

Facts

• Protesters gathered in dozens of towns and villages in Syria's southern Sweida governorate on Tuesday, chanting anti-government slogans in demonstration against the country's economic situation. Syrian authorities have not commented on the protests as of yet.¹
• Demonstrations also erupted over the weekend in the neighboring Daraa governorate, with some raising the opposition flag and calling for the overthrow of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. Protests over recurrent power cuts also occurred in the Damascus suburb of Jaramana.²
• Sweida, a predominantly Druze region of Syria, did not see much fighting in the country's civil war but has remained an unstable region, with tensions between the region's Druze community and the government periodically boiling over.³
• According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), shops and official government buildings in Sweida have been closed. The Headquarters of the local Baath party branch, the ruling party in Syria, has been blocked by protesters, as well as several roads inside and around the area.⁴
• Neighboring Daraa, which also saw demonstrations, experienced heavy fighting during the civil war. The government returned to Daraa in 2018, but the region has faced low-intensity insurgency as well as compounding economic issues.⁵
• Since the beginning of the year, the Syrian pound has devalued from 7K to the US dollar to 15K. The government, which is low on funds, has cut subsidies, leading to cost increases in public transport and fuel fares. The economy has also faced destruction resulting from civil war and sanctions placed on the government due to war crimes accusations.⁶

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²France 24, ³The National, ⁴Middle East Eye, ⁵English, and ⁶FOX News.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Middle East Eye. As Syrians from all walks of life continue to demand freedom and dignity, 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.
• Anti-Iran narrative, as provided by Fox News. It is critical that one focuses on the Iranian element of the protests in southern Syria. Iran, which supports terror groups throughout the Middle East, is one of the leading causes of Syria's instability as it funds gangs and smugglers who traffic illicit narcotics throughout the region, primarily from their bases in the country's south. Iran must be expelled from Syria.

Predictions