🔶 Syria’s biggest anti-government protests since the fall of Assad

A sharp increase in fuel prices in Syria has led to the country’s biggest nationwide protests since the fall of Bashar Assad, the former president of this country, and the rise to power of Ahmad al-Sharaa.

Reuters, citing the city of Aleppo, reports that after the Syrian government on Saturday, September 12, raised the price of diesel by 40% to 175 Syrian lira (about $1.32) per liter, protesters set tires on fire and blocked important communication routes.

In addition, the prices of gasoline and gas have also increased. Demonstrators, including those on the highway between Damascus, Syria’s capital, and Aleppo, the country’s industrial hub, blocked that route.

They also prevented oil tankers carrying crude oil from heading to refineries and called for the resignation of the energy minister and the economy minister.

One protester in Aleppo told Reuters: “We don’t want a wage increase. Our only demand is a reduction in the price of diesel and other fuels.”

On Sunday, Syria’s Ministry of Energy said the price hikes are a temporary measure necessitated by higher global supply costs and the country’s heavy dependence on imports.

This year, Syria has been importing about 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day from Russia. These shipments have recently been affected by the war in Ukraine, because Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries have reduced production there, and the Moscow government has limited exports.

In addition, the largest Syrian refinery in Baniyas has been shut down for three months due to maintenance and repairs.

According to the United Nations Development Programme, currently 90% of Syria’s population lives below the poverty line.