Syrian Christians Protest Christmas Tree Burning

Christians in Damascus, the capital of Syria, protested against the burning of a Christmas tree in a city near Hama. The demonstration took place on the evening of Monday, December 24, with the French news agency reporting hundreds of protesters. As they marched from Christian neighborhoods in Damascus towards the Orthodox Church in the 'Bab Sharqi' district, they chanted slogans about the rights of Christians. According to videos shared on social media, some demonstrators held crosses and shouted slogans emphasizing their commitment to their faith. Hours before the protest, a video circulated on social media showing several rebels burning a Christmas tree in the Christian city of 'Saqilbiya' near Hama. In another video later shared on social media, a leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham told residents that those who burned the tree 'are not Syrians' and 'will be punished.' Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in London, identified those who burned the Christmas tree as foreign members of the Islamist group 'Ansar al-Tawhid.' The protest occurred about two weeks after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government to rebel groups led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. During this time, the rebels have claimed to support minorities. The group known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham has roots in al-Qaeda and has been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. since 2018.