Suwayda protesters demand democracy and denounce policies of Syrian Transitional Government

SUWAYDA, Syria — Protesters in southern Syria’s Suwayda region continue to take to the streets, expressing strong dissatisfaction with the policies of the Syrian Transitional Government (STG). Demonstrators called for a genuine democracy founded on equality and inclusivity, representing all components of Syrian society without discrimination.

The protesters raised banners criticizing STG President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the Constitutional Declaration that enabled him to appoint himself president for five years without elections. Protesters accused al-Sharaa of consolidating power by bypassing the will of the people and attempting to legitimize his authority through undemocratic means.

وقفة احتجاجية مناوئة للإدارة الجديدة نفذها مجموعة ناشطين وناشطات في ساحة الكرامة وسط مدينة السويداء، رفعوا خلالها شعارات ولافتات تعبّر عن مطالبهم، اليوم الأحد، وفق مراسل السويداء 24.

وللاسبوع الرابع على التوالي، حددت هذه المجموعة من الناشطين يوم الأحد موعداً ثابتاً لتنظيم… pic.twitter.com/1YiAUmBqub

— السويداء 24 (@suwayda24) April 13, 2025

A participating lawyer denounced al-Sharaa’s use of Islamic law (Sharia) as a governing framework, arguing that it neither reflects the intellectual nor political aspirations of Syrians. Instead, he labeled it an extremist ideology serving narrow interests. Activist Shahira Troudi echoed these criticisms, accusing the STG of regressing Syria to an era of radical ideology, likening it to the medieval Salafi thinker Ibn Taymiyyah. Troudi emphasized the unity of Syrian identity, asserting that it cannot be confined to a single ideology or narrative.

Protesters also highlighted atrocities committed along the Syrian coast, blaming sectarianism fueled by extremist religious discourse as a key driver of violence, particularly targeting the Alawite community. This rhetoric, they argued, has deepened divisions and fostered hatred among Syria’s diverse social components.

Further criticisms were leveled at the ministries established by the STG, which protesters described as tools of domination and control over liberated areas, ignoring the people’s demands for justice and freedom.

“السويداء ودرعا واحد”.. هتافات أهالي مدينة بصرى الشام في ريف درعا خلال استقبالهم وفداً من أهالي السويداء، توجه إلى بصرى لتقديم واجب العزاء بالشاب الذي فقد حياته بالأحداث الأخيرة، وللمباركة بالاتفاق الذي حقن دماء أهالي المدينة خصوصاً وحوران عموماً.. pic.twitter.com/4aDtSJViqX

— السويداء 24 (@suwayda24) April 13, 2025