Protesters organize first open sit-in against al-Jolani in Idlib
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Protesters in the city of Ariha, south of Idlib, Syria, begin an open sit-in in response to a campaign of arrests carried out by al-Jolani's security service in the city.
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A video screengrab showing protestors gathering in an open sit-in against HTS' Abu Mohammad al-Jolani in Idlib, Syria, on May 5, 2024. (Social media)
Syrian protesters in Ariha City, south of Idlib, convened an open sit-in in the city center on Sunday evening in response to a series of arrests carried out by the so-called Security Service of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, led by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani.
The arrests were initiated after a patrol from the so-called General Security Service of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham apprehended several protest organizers in the city, charging them with security offenses. Subsequently, demonstrations erupted in Idlib, Jisr al-Shughour, and the villages of Jabal al-Zawiya, demanding al-Joulani's removal and the release of the detainees.
Reportedly, groups of protesters traveled from their towns to Ariha City to express solidarity with those arrested by al-Jolani's security apparatus.
#شام| مظاهرة في مدينة أريحا على خلفية اعتقال أمنية الجـ ـولاني أحد منظمي الحراك الشعبي ومحاولة اعتقال ناشط يقوم بتغطية التظاهرات. pic.twitter.com/nuMrZ9ArIQ
— شبكة شام الإخبارية (@ShaamNetwork) May 5, 2024
Moreover, locals reported that protesters have decided to conduct an open sit-in in front of the General Security Service building in the city center until the detainees are released.
They erected a large tent for the sit-in and threatened to escalate it to encompass all areas in Idlib.
For months, Idlib has seen daily protests calling for the removal of Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, the disbandment of his alleged security apparatus, and the liberation of thousands detained in his prisons.
Al-Jolani launches massive arrest campaign against demonstrators
The so-called General Security Service, affiliated with Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, launched a series of widespread arrests in the areas that witnessed demonstrations demanding the overthrow of the group's leader, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, in the countryside of Idlib and Aleppo.
Local sources said that "Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham convoys stormed the villages of Binnish, al-Dana, Jabal al-Zawiya, Tarmanin, and Deir Hassan in the Idlib countryside, in addition to the city of Darat Azza in the western countryside of Aleppo. In recent weeks, he also launched an arrest campaign that targeted several demonstrators, most notably activist Anas al-Omar, who led several demonstrations against al-Jolani in several regions.
The sources indicated that members of the security apparatus beat the demonstrators and forcibly dragged them toward cars, transporting them to prisons in various areas between Binnish and al-Dana.
The sources reported that "the arrest campaign led to demonstrations in a large number of areas, including the one where the campaign took place, in which the demonstrators demanded Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham to release the detainees, threatening to escalate and hold a sit-in until al-Jolani was toppled."
Locals in Idlib confirmed that dozens of demonstrators from many villages headed towards al-Dana and Tarmanin, and the city of Darat Azza to support the demonstrators.
The arrest campaign conducted by the General Security Service of the Commission followed a tour by al-Jolani to the homes of some leaders who support the popular movement against him, notably Abd al-Razzaq al-Mahdi, a prominent committee legislator and opponent of al-Jolani's policies.
Reportedly, al-Jolani was accused of threatening leaders who supported the movement against him with elimination, similar to what happened with his friend Abu Maria al-Qahtani. They called on demonstrators to persist in demanding al-Jolani's overthrow before tightening his security grip further and suppressing the movement completely.
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