Syrian activists were physically assaulted with sticks and bladed weapons during a protest held outside the People’s Assembly building in Damascus on the evening of Friday, July 18. The protest was organized to denounce the ongoing cycle of violence in Suwayda.
The demonstration came in response to escalating clashes and reciprocal abuses between local Druze factions and armed groups from Arab tribes in southern Syria’s Suwayda governorate.
Syrian activist Zeina Shahla reported that protesters were subjected to verbal and physical assaults during a silent vigil they had launched the day before, on July 17. The vigil called for an end to the “bloodshed” in Syria and urged dialogue between communities.
In a Facebook post, Shahla stated that a group of individuals armed with wooden sticks attacked the activists as they were leaving the protest site. Despite attempts to avoid confrontation, the attackers pursued them and hurled accusations of treason and offensive insults.
Videos circulated online showed armed men assaulting protesters with sticks and sharp objects. Footage also showed Shahla herself being physically attacked and verbally abused during the incident.
Shahla, a long-standing activist and journalist who was previously detained under Syria’s former regime, currently serves as an advisor to the National Commission for the Missing, which was established by Syria’s transitional president Ahmad al-Sharaa on May 17.
She called for the adoption of clear legal measures to curb incitement and the widespread use of hate speech, as well as for a broad-based dialogue to help the country emerge from what she described as a “dark tunnel.”
Shahla did not comment on the stance of Syria’s Internal Security Forces regarding the protest, and no official government response had been issued at the time of publication.
What’s happening in Suwayda?
The unrest in Suwayda began with a series of mutual kidnappings between local Druze factions and Bedouin tribes from the province. The situation escalated into armed clashes, prompting the deployment of forces from Syria’s Interior and Defense ministries.
However, those forces were met with counterattacks by factions loyal to Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, who accused government forces of committing violations upon entering the area.
Israeli airstrikes then targeted Internal Security Force vehicles and the General Staff headquarters in Damascus in support of local factions, eventually forcing Syrian government forces to withdraw from Suwayda.
After their withdrawal, Druze-aligned factions reportedly carried out violations against Bedouin communities in the region, including the detention of civilians as hostages. This in turn triggered widespread mobilization among Arab tribes across Syria, escalating the conflict further.
According to preliminary figures documented by the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), more than 300 people from all sides have been killed since the fighting began on July 13.
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