Khaberni - Hundreds of Syrians gathered today, Sunday, in Damascus, in a silent sit-in, protesting against the authorities' decision to restrict the sale of alcoholic beverages and ban their provision in restaurants and nightclubs, as witnessed by reporters from «Agence France-Presse».
Protesters flocked to Bab Touma Square, primarily a Christian neighborhood, amidst strict security measures, by the invitation of civil society activists, in a move reflecting growing concerns about infringements on personal freedoms by the new authorities who came to power after the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.
The protesters raised the Syrian flag and banners in Arabic and English, one of which read: «Personal freedom is a red line».
University professor Hanan Assi (60 years old), who carried a banner that read «Constitution articles are a right, not a demand», told the agency that Syrians have «thousands of forgotten issues from poverty to displaced and homeless refugees», adding: «We are in a phase of building, not dividing».
The controversy follows a series of decisions made in the past few months and actions that have raised concerns about freedoms, from «more modest» dress regulations at beaches and pools, to debates over banning office makeup in Latakia.
Comedian Maliki Mardanyal (31 years old) from the «Steria» comedy team, attended after mocking the decision in a video he posted on his "Instagram" page, saying: «Comedy in our hands is a light weapon against the authorities, and the decisions they issue make people laugh more than the comedy we create», confirming that «the decisions of the authorities are what bring people together in the squares».
Television writer Rami Kousa (37 years old) stated that «if the goal of these decisions is to pulse-test to pass similar decisions to tighten public freedoms to change the city's identity, the message should have arrived», stressing that «this type of decision will not pass».
The sit-in comes at a time when concern is growing, especially among the minorities in Syria, and Christian fears have intensified after a church explosion in the Dwaila neighborhood in Damascus in June, to Sweida, the Druze stronghold, which witnessed bloody violence in July, reaching the Kurds in northeastern Syria, where tensions periodically arise with the authorities in various forms.
Damascus governorate issued a decision on March 17 (March) restricting the sale of sealed alcoholic beverages in three areas predominantly inhabited by Christians, namely Kassaa, Bab Touma, and Bab Sharqi, and banned their provision in restaurants and nightclubs, attributing the decision to complaints from the local community, while seeking to reduce «public indecency».
Social Affairs Minister Hind Qabawat, the only Christian minister in the government, criticized restricting alcohol to Christian areas, saying these areas «are not places for drinks and alcohol, but they are the heart of Damascus and its bright history, and a place for shared living».
The governorate clarified in a statement yesterday that the new measures «align» with decrees issued many years ago, and the aim is to organize «the chaos occurring in alcoholic beverage shops».
It indicated that it «will reconsider the three areas mentioned in the decision so as not to offend any component».
