Thousands of Alawites took to the streets after a mosque bombing in Homs killed eight. Carrying banners and photos of community leader Ghazal Ghazal, protesters called for federalism, regional autonomy, and an end to sectarian violence, showing their fears and frustration under Syria’s new Islamist authorities
Thousands of Alawites took to the streets in Syria’s coastal and central regions on Sunday, protesting a deadly
mosque bombing that killed eight people in Homs on Friday.
The attack targeted an Alawite area and is part of a worrying pattern of violence against the minority since the
fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Security forces moved in to break up clashes between demonstrators and supporters of Syria’s new Islamist authorities, according to AFP. Other confrontations erupted in the town of Jableh, while reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed injuries in Homs itself.
Voices from the streets
“Why the killing? Why the assassination? Why the kidnapping? Why these random actions without any deterrent, accountability or oversight?” demanded Numeir Ramadan, a 48-year-old trader protesting in Latakia, who spoke to AFP.
The protests followed calls from Ghazal Ghazal, head of the Islamic Alawite Council in Syria and Abroad, who urged the community to “show the world that the Alawite community cannot be humiliated or marginalised.”
“We do not want a civil war, we want political federalism. We do not want your terrorism. We want to determine our own destiny,” he said in a video message on Facebook.
Watch the protest video here:
🚨 BREAKING: Alawites Take to the Streets in Syria
Despite ongoing attacks by jihadist forces loyal to Ahmed al-Sharaa (al-Jawlani), Alawite protesters are openly demanding federalism and autonomy in Syria’s coastal region.
Images emerging from Tartus show civilians risking… pic.twitter.com/1WtGNOSM2u
— Mossad Commentary (@MOSSADil) December 28, 2025
Protesters carried pictures of Ghazal and banners demanding decentralised governance and regional autonomy, while placards called for an end to “sectarian speech.”
A minority under threat
The Alawite faith, a branch of Shiite Islam, is concentrated in Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus, with smaller communities in Homs. Since Assad’s fall, reports indicate kidnappings and killings targeting Alawites, amid rising sectarian tensions.
Earlier this year, Syria’s coastal areas witnessed massacres of Alawite civilians. Authorities accused armed Assad supporters of triggering violence, with death toll estimates ranging from 1,426 to over 1,700 according to monitors.
Protesters on Sunday also demanded the release of detainees. Syrian state television reported that 70 people were freed in Latakia “after it was proven that they were not involved in war crimes,” with more releases promised.
Despite official assurances that all communities will be protected, Syria’s minorities remain wary of their future under the new Islamist authorities, who have so far rejected demands for federalism.
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