T24 Foreign news
As protests in government-controlled areas in southern Syria entered their second month, protesters were seen breaking down the wall of fear and calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down.
Protesters blocked regional roads in the city of Suwayda on Monday. Suwayda has remained under Damascus control since civil war broke out in 2011 and is home to most of the country’s Durzi minority.
Videos shared by Suwayda24 show hundreds of people gathering in the city square, waving the Durzi flag and chanting “Get out of Syria, get out of Assad.”
In another video released on Sunday, activists show the ruling Ba’ath Party sealing the presidency in the city of Mel.
One protester said they sealed the party’s door because it quelled protests over the need for electricity and water. The protester later said: “We are calling you from Melch, Assad. We say: go, we don’t need you, you will be overthrown.”
A protester, whose name has not been released, later said: “You have two options: either you leave with honor, or you are destined to die.”
Actions against gasoline prices, economic corruption and mismanagement soon escalated into anti-government protests calling for Assad’s resignation.
Protests in southern Syria are steadily growing.
It was said that the support of protests in the Durzi regions by religious people and organizations associated with them could be a serious blow to the Assad administration. Assad prided himself on protecting the country’s minorities.