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Protests have broken out in Syria over the burning of a Christmas tree near the city of Hama. <\/p>\n
A video posted on social media showed masked gunmen setting fire to the tree on display in the main square of the Suqaylabiyah, a Christian-majority town in central Syria.<\/p>\n
The main Islamist faction which led the uprising that toppled President Bashar al-Assad said the men responsible for the arson were foreign fighters and had been detained and that the tree would be swiftly repaired.<\/p>\n
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across the country, demanding the new Islamist rulers protect religious minorities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In the Bab Touma neighbourhood of Damascus, protesters carried a cross and Syrian flags, chanting “we will sacrifice our souls for our cross”.<\/p>\n
“If we’re not allowed to live our Christian faith in our country, as we used to, then we don’t belong here anymore,” a demonstrator named Georges told AFP news agency.<\/p>\n
Syria is home to many ethnic and religious groups, including Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, Christians, Druze, Alawite Shia and Arab Sunnis, the last of whom make up a majority of the Muslim population.<\/p>\n
Just over two weeks ago, Bashar al-Assad’s presidency fell to rebel forces, ending the Assad family’s more than 50-year-rule.<\/p>\n
How the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group will govern Syria remains to be seen. The group has a jihadist past, which it has distanced itself from, and an Islamist present.<\/p>\n
As fighters marched to Damascus earlier this month, its leaders spoke about building a Syria for all Syrians.<\/p>\n
Representatives have also said that the rights and freedoms of religious and ethnic minorities would be protected.<\/p>\n
HTS remains designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN, US, EU and UK, though there are signs that a diplomatic shift may be underway.<\/p>\n