Protests erupt in Syria over Christmas tree burning
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is governing Syria claims that the individuals responsible for the arson were foreign fighters and that they have been detained
Protests have erupted in Syria following the burning of a Christmas tree in the town of Suqaylabiyah, near Hama.
"If we are no longer allowed to practice our Christian faith in our homeland as we once did, then we no longer have a place here,” protestors told media.
A video circulating on social media showed masked gunmen setting fire to the tree, igniting outrage among the Christian community.
The incident comes just over two weeks after an armed coalition led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) overthrew President Bashar al-Assad's government.
In the Bab Touma neighbourhood of Damascus, protesters carried a cross and Syrian flags, chanting "we will sacrifice our souls for our cross.”
The HTS has claimed that the individuals responsible for the arson were foreign fighters and that they have been detained. They assured residents that the Christmas tree would be repaired swiftly.
“All faiths will be protected along with minority rights,” the HTS affirmed.
Syria is home to many ethnic and religious groups, including Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, Christians, Druze, Alawite Shia and Arab Sunnis, the last of whom make up a majority of the Muslim population.
On Friday, the US has scrapped a $10m (€9.6m) bounty on the head of HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, following meetings between senior diplomats and representatives from the group.
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