Syrian protesters demand displacement of Nubl, al-Zahraa residents
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A protest near Nubl and Al-Zahraa in northern Aleppo countryside called for the expulsion of the towns' residents and the seizure of their homes.
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Children buy from a street vendor in an open market in Aleppo, Syria, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025 (AP)
Dozens of individuals linked to armed factions gathered in a protest at the entrance of the road leading to the towns of Nubl and al-Zahraa in northern Aleppo countryside, Syria.
The demonstration featured slogans demanding the "expulsion" of the Shia-majority towns' residents and the "handover of their homes to people from neighboring villages." Other inciting messages called for "forcing the residents to pay financial penalties as punishment and compensation" for allegedly not supporting armed factions against the former Syrian government.
The protest followed an online campaign targeting the presence of Nubl and al-Zahraa’s residents, who belong to the Shiite community in northern Aleppo countryside. The incitement campaign also included calls for a march from the towns of Hayyan and Bayanoun toward Nubl.
Posts circulated on social media urged residents of Aleppo's countryside to join the scheduled demonstration after Friday prayers.
Two days ahead of the protest, Sheikh Adham al-Khatib, the representative of the Shiite community in Syria, confirmed that his arrest by the General Security Administration on Wednesday morning was a "limited issue that has been resolved."
Al-Khatib had returned to his office in the Sayyeda Zainab area following his release, he confirmed in a statement delivered via a video posted on Facebook.
The cleric reassured the public about his situation, urging them not to worry about his personal status or that of the Shiite community.
Sheikh al-Khatib stated that "all issues are addressed through cooperation and coordination with the new regime," adding that "certain complications, which can be resolved amicably, may arise—especially as we emerge from a 14-year war."
It is noteworthy that a couple of days after al-Assad's ousting, armed groups attempted to assault the Sayyeda Zeinab shrine.
Footage showed armed men attempting to enter the shrine with their weapons but were forced to remain in the courtyard and were banned from entering the shrine where the tomb is located.
According to Al Mayadeen's exclusive sources, this occurred after the shrine’s defenders withdrew to avoid escalating tensions, having been assured that the site would remain protected from desecration.
