Peaceful popular protests demanding the overthrow of the regime continue in the governorate of As-Suwayda, southern Syria, daily for about eight months, and weekly on a larger scale, where locals gather in a single demonstration to express their demands.

Today, Friday, April 19, the people of As-Suwayda took to a demonstration at the Dignity Square, in the center of the governorate, to demand political change.

The protesters held up banners that read, “No to the new colonizers of Syria and woe to the deceivers who welcome them in our country,” “No education or construction in a country governed by a jailer,” “Secular, democratic Syria,” and “Executioner.. Syria freed from al-Assad.” The protesters also raised a banner bearing the word “dignity” as a sign from the organizing committee to put aside differences and unite under one inclusive banner, as reported by the local Suwayda24 network.

These demonstrations follow others that occurred in the governorate yesterday, Thursday, coinciding with the commemoration of Evacuation Day in Syria, in addition to the protests that took place in various regions of Idlib demanding the overthrow of the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammad al-Jolani.

Yesterday, Thursday, members of the Lawyers Assembly in As-Suwayda withdrew from the general body meeting of the Bar Association after being prevented from reading their statement rejecting the presence of a representative for the Ba’ath Party at the meeting, as it was unconstitutional.

In a stand by the lawyers in front of the Education Theatre, one of the assembly members read a statement explaining the breach of the constitution and the lawyers’ desire to reclaim their syndicate and restore the role it’s supposed to play.

As-Suwayda is no stranger to protests, as the governorate has seen several waves of demonstrations over the last decade. However, what characterizes the current scene is the widespread societal support, represented by broader support from the sons of the governorate, including unionists, artists, craftsmen, and others for the movement.

The religious authority also blesses the peaceful movement of the sons of the governorate, which gives a greater echo to the voice of the street and more courage, pushing people from villages and countryside of the governorate to gather every Friday in the Dignity Square, reaffirming the same demands.

During a briefing to the Security Council about the situation in Syria, on March 21, the UN Special Envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, referred to the continuation of peaceful protests in Syria and citizens taking to the streets in some areas as an expression of grievances that have not been addressed.