By Samah Abdel Fattah | 2023-08-25

A new wave of protests has begun in Syria's al-Suwayda province, and elsewhere in the country, amid a major increase in the price of consumer goods and the freefall of the national currency value's against the dollar.

Al-Suwayda activist Nizar Bou Ali said this is not the first time the province has witnessed gatherings in protest of the economic and living conditions in Syria.

What stands out about the current demonstrations, however, is that they are widespread among dozens of towns and villages, and protesters bring up specific demands during the gatherings, he said.

The protesters are demanding urgent measures to improve the country's dismal economic conditions. Many are also demanding that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad leave power and release all prisoners, Bou Ali said.

Despite their political and sectarian differences, residents of al-Suwayda and neighboring Daraa province share the same demands and concerns for the first time, he told Al-Fassel, adding that one of their common concerns is ample drug sales in both provinces.

Drugs, which directly harm the residents of the two provinces, provide funds for the Assad regime and its militias, he said.

Downplaying the protests' significance, the Syrian regime has emphasized that al-Suwayda is under its control, Bou Ali said.

However, al-Suwayda is a Druze stronghold, and the Druze clergy's support for the popular movement is "a very dangerous development for the Syrian regime", he added.

'Unprecedented anger'

"For the first time in years, activists in al-Suwayda and Daraa are communicating to unify their efforts, which may lead to more widespread protests and a new wave of defections from the Syrian army," Bou Ali said.

This would weaken al-Assad, especially now that he is attempting to restore relations with the Arab countries -- Jordan in particular, he said.

Bou Ali predicted that al-Suwayda and Daraa will undergo dramatic developments which will change the political scene in Syria.

"These developments will prompt the Syrian regime and its supporters, be it the Iranian or the Russian regime, to make major concessions in hopes of silencing the unprecedented public anger," he said.

Mahmoud Mustafa, Syrian economist and lecturer at Damascus University, said the Syrian regime's recent decision to lift fuel subsidies, which he describes as "foolish", has led to the drastic increase in the price of goods, especially essential goods, making them unaffordable for most of the public.

"The government's decision to increase the salaries of government employees by 100% was met with cynicism and ridicule, as even the increased salaries are not enough for any employee to feed their family more than a few days."

This is not taking into account other expenses such as clothes and transportation, which have become luxuries in today's Syria, he told Al-Fassel.

"The Syrian regime has always boasted about being supported by Iraq, Russia and Iran," Mustafa said.

However, the current situation shows that is not true, and the Syrian people have to bear the burden of the regime's acquiescence to Russian and Iranian conditions for even their minor demands, he said.

Discontent among Assad supporters

"People have been gathering, and are still gathering, to protest in many areas of Damascus, but the gatherings are quickly dispersed by the regime's security forces," said lawyer Taher al-Masri, who recently returned to Damascus from Cairo.

The popular discontent is beginning to get out of the regime's control, as it is palpable even in areas that were considered loyal to al-Assad, he said.

"Prices are increasing at a ridiculous rate, and are determined and controlled by a select number of traders who are loyal to the regime," he said.

The economic difficulties and exorbitant prices have even angered many Syrians who supported the regime over the years, but feel betrayed by it now, he added.

Al-Masri said he expects the popular base, which the regime considers its safety valve, to erupt, with angry crowds gathering regularly to protest on most streets and at gas stations.

The regime's security forces -- who are deployed to crack down on these protests -- forcefully threaten the protesters, he said.

"But the prevailing conditions will eventually lead to a social implosion that the regime will not be able to deal with, as it will affect everyone, even those closest to it," al-Masri told Al-Fassel.