In Jermana, a suburb near Damascus, protesters took down a statue of Hafez al-Assad, the late father of current Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The crowd, mostly from the Druze community, demanded that President Assad step down. They walked towards government buildings, calling for security forces to leave their neighborhood. Ryan Marouf, an activist, mentioned that unlike other parts of Syria, the government has mostly ignored protests from the Druze. This time, demonstrators even removed posters of Assad, challenging the strong support he and his father usually receive.
The night before, there were fights in Suweida, another Druze city, where local militias attacked a police station, freeing many prisoners. In Deraa, west of Suweida, people celebrated by taking down a statue of Assad and firing their guns in the air. These events show a growing spirit of freedom among people who want change in Syria’s government.
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