Fuel crisis ignites Syria: Thousands take to the streets against al-Jolani

A wave of widespread protests has erupted in Syria following a sharp increase in fuel prices. Thousands of demonstrators blocked roads, burned tires, and stopped oil tankers, with anger directed at President Ahmed al-Sharaa (al-Jolani) and his government. This is the largest protest wave since the fall of the Assad regime.

A wave of widespread protests erupted across Syria over the past weekend against the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, known as "al-Jolani," following a sharp increase in fuel prices. This is the largest protests in the country since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime nearly two years ago, according to a report by Reuters news agency. The protests began after the Syrian government announced on Saturday a 40% increase in diesel prices, to 175 Syrian pounds per liter. Following the move, protesters took to the streets in several locations across the country, burning tires and blocking major arteries, including the road connecting Damascus to Aleppo. It was also reported that the government raised the price of 95-octane gasoline by 28% to 195 pounds per liter, 90-octane gasoline by 26% to 185 pounds, and gas for household and industrial use by about 9%. In some protest hotspots, demonstrators blocked convoys of oil tankers. Some demanded the dismissal of the energy and economy ministers and the removal of the head of the Syrian oil company, and chants were heard against al-Jolani. A Syrian citizen participating in the protest told Reuters: "We don't want higher salaries. All we want is for the prices of diesel and other fuels to go down." Another citizen said: "The border crossings bring in millions of dollars. We don't want new squares or malls. We just want to live."