Tens of Syrians took to the streets in Suweida province, south-western Syria, to protest against corruption and dire economic conditions, demanding the overthrow of the Syrian regime and its head, Bashar al-Assad.   

The protesters, who assembled in front of the municipality building today, Monday, 8 June, chanted slogans in support of the Syrian province. They also chanted anti-regime slogans such as ” If you are a Syrian citizen, please kindly raise your hand, and say we do not want Bashar al-Assad as the President of Syria anymore” and “O Syria, Suweida is with you to the very end.” Then, the protesters marched through the city market.

The local pro-opposition news site “Suwayda 24”, released videos of the anti-regime demonstration in the city of Suweida. 

Dozens of people held a protest on Sunday, 7 June, to voice their anger, chanting the same protest slogans used

when peaceful protests first erupted in 2011  like “ Syria belongs to Syrian people not for the family of al-Assad. 

Uprising of Suweida 

On 31 May, dozens of Syrians organized a silent stand to protest against the deteriorating living, security and economic conditions in the governorate on Sunday, dubbed “Silent Sunday.”

In early 2020, the residents of Suweida held a demonstration under the slogan “We want to live,” holding the government of the Syrian regime responsible for the dire living condition in Syria.

Videos of the demonstrators chanting of Tartous, Hama, Homs, Daraa, Latakia, and Damascus went viral on social media sites.

The slogan “ One, one, the Syrian people is one and united” was the most prolific slogan chanted by the demonstrators following the debilitating economic situation in most of the Syrian lands. 

These demonstrations were preceded by photos circulated by activists, on 8 January, showing writings on the walls that mentioned the names of martyrs in the Syrian revolution, and called for the freedom of the detained and abducted. 

After that, some residents of Suweida protested against the high prices and the deteriorating living and economic conditions, as reported by the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on January 15.

Commercial stores in the markets of the areas controlled by the Syrian regime are shut down in response to the freefall of the Syrian pound. Medicine is rare and has become increasing unattainable in the Syrian markets, which led to closure of many pharmacies, in addition to a sharp rise in food prices.

According to the website of Syrian Pound Today (a Syrian Pound tracking website), the Syrian Pound (SYP) hit a record low against the US dollar (USD) on the morning of 8 June, to reach 3,150  SYP per USD to sell and 3,050 SYP per USD to buy.

On 4 June, the Syrian pound hit a historic low, passing 2000 against the dollar, amidst efforts to search for solutions to  prevent  its collapse.

The Central Bank of Syria has taken procedures described as “strict”, including closing money transfer companies and punishing people who receive or deliver financial transfers from outside the country,and outside the framework of approved foreign exchange companies.