Hundreds of demonstrators marched in Christian areas of Damascus early Tuesday, December 24, 2024, in protest against the burning of a Christmas tree in Suqaylabiyah, a Christian-majority town near Hama. Witnesses reported protesters chanting, “We demand the rights of Christians,” as they moved towards the Orthodox Patriarchate headquarters in the Bab Sharqi neighborhood.
The outcry follows a viral video showing hooded fighters from the Islamist group Ansar al-Tawhid setting fire to the tree. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that the perpetrators were foreign fighters.
Georges, a demonstrator, voiced his frustration: “If we’re not allowed to live our Christian faith in our country, as we used to, then we don’t belong here anymore.”
In response, a religious leader from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)—the Islamist coalition that recently ousted the Assad government—denounced the act, stating the fighters were “not Syrian” and promising justice. HTS has vowed to restore the damaged tree and light it up by Wednesday morning.
The protests underscore tensions in Syria following the HTS-led toppling of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which had positioned itself as a protector of minorities in the Sunni-majority nation. The HTS movement, rooted in Al-Qaeda and backed by Turkey, has pledged to safeguard minority rights despite its Islamist ideology.
