In Homs, located in western Syria, a curfew has been enforced due to demonstrations by minorities and resulting unrest. Similar protests have emerged in other Syrian cities.
The scale of these protests remains unclear. The protests were reportedly sparked by a video showing an Alawite shrine being set on fire in Aleppo.
The video’s creation date is unknown, but it has circulated on social media, raising fears among minorities such as Shiites and Alawites that the new government is not honoring promises about religious tolerance. The new government is led by the Sunni rebel group HTS, which displaced the Assad regime and claims to be moderate and tolerant.
Reuters attempted to contact HTS for a response regarding the curfew in Homs, which is set for tonight only. According to the Ministry of Interior, the video of the shrine attack was made last month by an unidentified group.
The current authorities assert that the video is being disseminated to incite violence between communities. At the end of November, HTS expelled the government army from Aleppo, collaborating with other militias.
Alawites, the community to which Assad belonged, particularly fear retaliation. They predominantly reside in the western regions where today’s protests were reported.
Source: NOS