Syria, unprecedented demonstration in Soueida against the regime of Bashar al-Assad

Text by: RFI Follow

Too much is too much for the people of Soueida in Syria. During the nine years of war, this city in the south of the country supported the government in power, but economic difficulties pushed hundreds of people into the streets. As in other rebel regions, these people are now demanding the fall of power.

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Three days of demonstrations and slogans hostile to the regime. In Soueida, calls for civil disobedience are increasing. "  Syria is our country, it is not the property of the Assads,  " chant the angry crowd. The shops have lowered the curtain. Protesters occupy the street and now denounce the stranglehold on the wealth of the country of their former ally, President Bashar al-Assad.

Syria is in the middle of an economic downturn . The pound, the national currency, has collapsed. Average wages barely exceed $ 20 a month. The people of Soueida hope for an uprising in all the provinces of the country.

In the north, in Idleb, a rebel region, their call is heard and rallies are organized as a sign of support. But some, within the opposition, reproached them for their complacent silence during the nine years of war. "In  Soueida, it was hunger that pushed you into the street. We defend the values ​​of freedom and democracy,  ”say anti-regime activists on social networks.

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• Syria
• Bashar al-Assad