Hundreds of Syrians gathered in Youssef Al Azmeh Square in Damascus on Friday, demanding better living conditions and an end to personal restrictions.
Protesters carried signs reading “Syria is not for sale”, and chanting “Syria for the Syrians,” as they commemorated the 80th anniversary of the departure of France from the country in 1946.
“I want to express my right to live like a human being,” said Nizar Tarboosh, a protester from Deraa. “I have the right to live like other people, not to be consumed by electricity bills, by rising prices, or by poverty. We have the right for our public assets to remain state property, not to be sold off, privatised, or turned into private trade.”
Syria is still recovering from a long civil war and is now governed by an authority with extremist roots, previously linked to Al Qaeda, but which has vowed to respect all Syrians, as well as the country’s diverse cultures and religions.
At the start of the protest, clashes erupted between the activists and a group of supporters of the government, accusing the sit-in organisers of being remnants of the former Assad regime.
“These people are now demanding freedom and dignity? Where were they when we were asking for it and being bombed?” asked Imad Al Haraki.
Elite state security forces quickly intervened, protecting protesters by creating a ring around them.
“These types of protests can create division among the people, but it is natural. Syria is diverse and includes all opinions,” said a woman, who refused to give her name. The government was placing unnecessary restrictions, especially on women, she said.
“There is sometimes interference in how we dress, in make-up … things we don’t want anyone interfering in” she added. “We don’t want anyone telling us where the limits of our commitment lie.”
Women working in the public sector in the coastal city of Latakia were asked to refrain from wearing make-up during their shifts. Women were also asked to wear modest bathing suits in the summer of 2025 on public beaches around the country.
