According to reports at several local media, mostly connected with the opposition, the protesters are now being joined by people from local villages and also from Dara’a. Dara’a and Sweida are key cities in southern Syria, and both are located between Damascus and Jordan. Sweida is the main city in its province, which is sometimes also spelled Suwayda and named after the city.
The protests by Druze have left the community divided on the next steps. Some spiritual and faith leaders have backed the protests but others have urged reconciliation and an agreement with the regime. The Syrian regime itself is distracted by focusing on other problems in eastern and northern Syria.
Recently Russia, which backs the regime, has carried out airstrikes against Turkish-backed Syrian groups in Idlib. In addition tribal groups near the Euphrates river have been fighting the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. The regime therefore has not had a lot of time to focus on what is happening in the south.
According to online media, such as Suwayda24, protesters stormed a local branch of a Farmer’s Union and tore down the president’s banner. In Sweida city, hundreds gathered in Karama Square on Friday as the protests, carrying the multi-coloured Druze flag. READ MORE
