Protests broke out in Syria after the burning of Christmas trees

Protests have broken out in Syria against the burning of Christmas trees near the city of Hama.

A video posted on social media showed masked gunmen burning trees displayed in the main square of Suqaylabiyah, a majority-Christian town in central Syria.

The main Islamist faction leading the uprising that ousted President Bashar al-Assad said those responsible for the arson were foreign fighters and had been detained and that the tree would be quickly repaired.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets across the country, demanding that the new Muslim rulers protect religious minorities.

In the Bab Touma neighborhood of Damascus, protesters carried crosses and Syrian flags, chanting “we will sacrifice our souls for our cross”.

“If we are not allowed to live the Christian faith in our country like before, then we no longer belong here,” one protester named Georges told AFP news agency.

Syria is home to many ethnic and religious groups, including Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, Christians, Druze, Shia Alawites and Sunni Arabs, the last group making up the majority of the population. Muslim number.

Just over two weeks ago, Bashar al-Assad’s presidency fell to rebel forces, ending more than 50 years of rule by the Assad family.

It remains to be seen how the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group will rule Syria. The group has a jihadist past from which they have distanced themselves and is now Muslim.

As militants marched on Damascus earlier this month, the country’s leaders spoke of building a Syria for all Syrians.

Representatives also said that the rights and freedoms of religious and ethnic minorities would be protected.

HTS is still considered a terrorist organization by the United Nations, the US, the EU and the UK, although there are signs that a diplomatic shift may be underway.

On Friday, US has canceled $10m (£7.9m) bonus headed by HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, after a meeting between senior diplomats and representatives of the group.

The United States is continuing its military presence in Syria – it said it carried out an airstrike in the northern city of Deir Ezzor, killing two IS members.

The presence of foreign fighters, Islamic extremists such as ISIS or even regime supporters interested in causing insecurity and attacking minorities in order to shake stability The country’s determination is the major challenge that the new Muslim leadership will have to face.