Large-scale protests by Sunni Arabs held in Syria’s Hasakah — Jerusalem Post

Large-scale demonstrations by Sunni Arabs took place in the Syrian city of Hasakah after Friday prayers. Participants, including members of Arab tribes, gathered near the Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Mosque in the Gweiran district and then marched to Liberation Square carrying the flags of Syria’s new authorities. The demonstrators were accompanied by personnel from the government’s internal security forces, the Jerusalem Post reports.

Context of the dissolution of the autonomy

Some participants arrived from areas around Hasakah, as well as from the neighboring province of Deir ez-Zor. Before the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, Hasakah was the main city of the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. Its armed component was the Syrian Democratic Forces.

After the rapid advance of Damascus government forces across the Euphrates in January, the Syrian Democratic Forces and the autonomous administration agreed to dissolve. The agreement of January 29 formally ended the existence of the autonomous administration, and the Syrian Democratic Forces were officially disbanded on August 26. At the same time, according to the publication, some institutions of the former autonomy continued to operate, while Kurdish political entities linked to it remained in place.

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Versions regarding the reasons for the tensions

The Jerusalem Post writes that the recent incidents may be linked to the desire of part of Hasakah’s Arab population to accelerate the dismantling of the remaining Kurdish autonomous structures and establish full control by the central authorities. A source in the city’s Kurdish administration told the publication that the demonstrations had been preceded by a coordinated social media campaign calling on Arab residents to raise the Syrian flag in the city center. According to the source, the Kurdish governor and local authorities had already planned to hold an official flag-raising ceremony.

The same source claimed that sectarian slogans were heard at the rallies and that Kurdish symbols were attacked. There is no independent confirmation of these claims in the report. Another civilian source in Hasakah reported growing fear among Kurds and Arabs due to tensions in the city and the risk of kidnappings.

At the same time, the Enab Baladi website, which the Jerusalem Post describes as supportive of the Damascus authorities, placed responsibility for the escalation on the Kurdish organization Revolutionary Youth. People quoted by Enab Baladi said that its representatives set up checkpoints, checked passersby’s phones, and humiliated them. The role of the Damascus authorities in the recent events remains unclear, according to the Jerusalem Post.