Hundreds protest in Damascus after Christmas tree set ablaze

Hundreds of demonstrators have taken to the streets in Christian neighborhoods of Damascus after a Christmas tree burning heightened fears that the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad could presage crackdowns on Syria's religious minorities.

Hundreds of demonstrators have taken to the streets in Christian neighborhoods of Damascus after a Christmas tree burning heightened fears that the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad could presage crackdowns on Syria's religious minorities.

The protests on Monday night appeared to have been sparked after footage, verified by NBC News, showed hooded figures setting fire to the tree at a traffic circle in the Christian-majority town of Al-Suqalabiyah near the city of Hama in central Syria on Monday.

A video circulating on social media and verified by NBC News showed crowds in Damascus chanting “Raise your cross, raise it!” and “We are with you to death, Suqalabiyah!”

Syria’s de facto new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has been trying to cast his leadership as one that will protect minorities in the Sunni-majority country, just two weeks after his rebel group led a quickfire offensive that ousted Assad.

A Christmas tree is set alight in Hama on Monday.XThe Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based humans monitoring organization, identified the perpetrators as from the Islamist group Ansar al-Tawhid.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/hundreds-protest-damascus-christmas-tree-fire-rcna185312

---