ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syrians gathered in Damascus’s al-Marjeh square on Sunday to demonstrate against the unrest that has rocked the country’s western coastal regions, calling for holding perpetrators of civilian killings accountable and urging “inclusion and freedom for all” in the transitional phase of governance.
The civil activity was arranged to condemn the “sectarian massacre” of some 1,018 people - mostly civilians - in the predominantly Alawite western Syria over the past four days, after an insurgency launched by loyalists of ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad against security forces aligned with the new leadership in Damascus.
Speaking to Rudaw’s reporter, Dilkhwaz Mohammed, during the rally, human rights defender Salma Sayyad called for "accelerating the implementation of transitional justice and holding perpetrators accountable” and asserted the civilians' right to "live peacefully in their homes without facing violations."
For her part, activist Sandra Awad said that the demonstrators' "main demand is the formation of a transitional government that guarantees the rights of all Syrians,” stressing that “this is urgently needed so that everyone can participate in rebuilding the country."
Khair Ghazali, another civil rights activist, highlighted the significance “of involving all of Syria’s constituents in the political process" and "having transparency in the work of the government.”
Of note, video footage emerged of a fight breaking out during the rally which prompted security forces to fire shots in the air to disperse the protesters.
Amid the escalation of violence, Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Sunday ordered the establishment of an "independent national committee" to "investigate and look into” the deadly clashes in western Syria. Sharaa also vowed to form another high-level committee to "preserve civil peace" and "listen" to the people of the coastal areas in the west after days of deadly violence in the region.
The new authorities in Damascus have come under repeated criticism for their treatment of minority groups. After his appointment as Syria’s interim President in late January, Sharaa said he would respect the rights of all ethnic and religious groups.
