SOHR: Sweida Protests Demand Independence, Reject Damascus Government
SOHR: Protesters in Sweida demand independence and reject the Syrian government. Some raised Israeli flags and called for humanitarian aid amid a deepening crisis and siege.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in Syria's Sweida governorate on Saturday demanding independence and the right to self-determination, with some protesters calling for Israeli intervention and raising Israeli flags in a direct and categorical rejection of the transitional government in Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported.
According to the human rights monitor, the demonstration on Saturday, was held under the slogan "The Right to Self-Determination."
Protesters in Sweida chanted slogans demanding independence and the trial of Syrian government officials they hold responsible for crimes and violations against civilians.
The SOHR report noted a contentious element within the protest, stating that while some participants raised Israeli flags alongside the flags of the Druze community, others expressed their objection, clarifying that the move did not represent the stance of all protesters.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights detailed that the demonstrators also raised photos of victims from the region and held banners demanding retribution and justice.
The protesters stressed that the blood of the innocent will not be erased and that the voice of the street will continue until their legitimate demands are met.
A central theme of the demonstration was the need to respect the right of the people of Sweida to self-determination, free from any external guardianship or disregard for their demands.
In addition to their political grievances, the protesters made urgent humanitarian appeals amid what was described as a deteriorating situation and an almost complete cutoff of basic life necessities.
The SOHR conveyed their calls for the urgent opening of humanitarian corridors, the lifting of the siege on their areas, and the establishment of an airlift to transport critical medical and food supplies to the beleaguered region.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights noted that Saturday’s demonstration is part of a wider wave of protests that began in the Sweida governorate on July 28.
The human rights monitor reported that the protests, which have involved several towns from different sects and communities, came in the wake of a July 13 attack by Bedouins and forces from the Ministries of Defense and Interior.
The demonstrations express a firm rejection of the violations and massacres that protesters accuse the Syrian government of committing.
