Renewed protests sweep Syria’s As Suwayda as demonstrators call to implement 2254
February 8, 2022, 5:43 pm

Renewed protests sweep Syria’s As Suwayda as demonstrators call to implement 2254

Renewed protests have swept Syria’s southwestern governorate of As Suwayda/Facebook page

The Asharq-Al-Awsat reported, renewed protests have swept Syria’s southwestern governorate of As Suwayda as demonstrators marched and staged sit-ins demanding building a country for “all Syrians” and implementing UN resolution 2254, which calls for a political transition in the country.

On Monday, protesters blocked roads between villages as well as Damascus-Suwayda Highway. They only opened roads for students, emergency cases, and trucks with food and fuel.

In the provincial city, also named As Suwayda, protesters gathered in front of a prominent place of worship and marched towards the main square in large numbers. They also blocked roads using burning tires and shouted anti-government slogans.

The recent wave of demonstrations come as discontent grows among Syrians towards the deteriorating living and economic conditions in the country.

Protesters in blocked roads between villages as well as Damascus-Suwayda Highway/Facebook page

Protesters called on all Syrians, including soldiers, civilians, and civil servants to disrupt the status quo and join the peaceful demonstrations demanding the basic and legitimate rights of citizens.

Demonstrators called on civil servants to skip work on Tuesday and join the protests. They also pushed shop owners to close their stores in the city and for government institutions to shut down.

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Hamza, a protester in As Suwayda, said that shuttering government institutions comes to deliver the demands of demonstrators and defend the rights of civil servants.

According to Hamza, civil servants are getting paid the shocking wage of $40 a month..

Rayan Maarouf, an editor at the As Suwayda 24 news network, told Asharq Al-Awsat that protests dispersed on Monday noon with calls for renewing them on Tuesday.

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Maarouf pointed out that protests in As Suwayda included individuals from the whole social spectrum in the governorate. Notable participation was made by clerics, intellectuals, and key opposition figures.

Sporadic protests turned into a demonstration denouncing the authority in Syria, noted Maarouf, adding that demonstrators chanted against humiliation and injustice and condemned the corruption of the authority and the waste of public money.

Source: aawsat

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.