The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Protests in SDF-controlled areas | Residents stage 28 protests since early 2023

SDF-controlled areas in north and east Syria have experienced noticeable escalation of protests and strikes since early 2023, especially in the villages and towns of Deir Ezzor which witnessed almost-daily protests, over the dreadful living conditions and poor services in areas controlled by the Autonomous Administration.

 

The public protests documented by SOHR in January 2023 can be summarised as follows:

 

 

  • January 2: Dozens of residents of Deir Ezzor people have taken part in angry protests denouncing the rapprochement between the Turkish and Syrian regimes, and rejecting the Iranian incursion into Deir Ezzor. The protesters have lifted placards and banners with slogans affirming the principles of the Syrian Revolution and demanding the unity of the Syrian people against the regime and Iranian-backed militias.

 

  • January 3: Dozens of villagers marched to demand their allocations of heating diesel and change local councils.

 

  • January 4: Dozens of residents of Zain Al-Mubarraj in Umm Madafa district, south-west of Al-Hasakah, took part in a second consecutive day of demonstrations, demanding their allocations of bread, fuel for heating and bread from “Autonomous Administration” and change of local councils.

 

  • January 10: Dozens of residents of Al-Basirah city and Ibrehah village, east of Deir Ezzor, have gathered and staged angry demonstrations, demanding that living conditions be improved, that representatives of the area be assigned to the districts and that detainees be released from “SDF” prisons, amid blocking roads with burning rubber tyres.

 

  • January 11: SOHR activists reported a general strike in the covered market in Manbij in eastern Aleppo over the selling of diesel allowances by the owners of generators and their non-compliance with the work hours under the pretext that “diesel is not available,” which led to complete blackout.

 

  • January 11: Dozens of residents of Bariha town in eastern Deir Ezzor countryside went out on protests, with most of them being young men working in smuggling on river crossings separating SDF-held areas and areas of regime forces and its militias. The protestors cut the roads with burning tires, following the storming operation launched by SDF on river crossings to stop smuggling operations.

 

  • January 11: Five transportation companies, bus owners and private taxi owners working on the line of Al-Hasakah and Al-Qamishly, went on strikes due to the low wages.

 

  • January 12: Dozens of residents of Al-Kibr village in the western countryside of Deir Ezzor have taken part in an angry protest to condemn not receiving heating diesel allocations via cards granted to them by “Autonomous Administration.”

 

  • January 13: Several smugglers in Abriha town in eastern Deir Ezzor countryside went out on protests, amid cutting roads with burning rubber tires, after the smuggling operations were disrupted on river crossings from SDF-held areas to regime-held areas.

 

  • January 14: Dozens of people from Ezbet and Maizilah towns, north of Deir Ezzor gathered and blocked roads with burning rubber tyres to demand disclosure of the fate of dozens of civilian detainees arrested several months earlier, including elderly people, by SDF forces.

 

  • January 16: Dozens of people in Al-Jazarat town in the western countryside of Deir Ezzor staged a demonstration to denounce the reconciliation with the regime and rapprochement between the Turkish and Syrian regimes.

 

  • January 16: Shopkeepers in Al-Jarniyah town, under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the western countryside of Al-Raqqah, gone on general strike to protest the taxes imposed by “Autonomous Administration” on the shops, which are estimated at 10% of the capital and profits of merchants, and raising the tariff tax.

 

  • January 17: Dozens of displaced people from the seven villages gathered in Ezbet town, north of Deir Ezzor, in an angry demonstration, blocking roads with burning rubber tyres. The have called on SDF to improve living conditions, release detainees arrested by SDF four years earlier and put them on trail if they are found to be involved in certain cases and do not leave them to live in limbo in prisons without trial.

 

  • January 17: Dozens of civilians participated in protests in front of Deir Ezzor Civil Council in the “Autonomous Administration”, due to incomplete distribution of heating diesel.

 

  • January 18: Dozens of residents of Al-Mashlab neighbourhood on the eastern outskirts of Al-Raqqah, gathered in front of the Civil Council in Al-Raqqah city to protest the killing of a woman and her daughter by thieves, the spread of drug traffickers and the increase in crime and theft rates in the Al-Raqqah’s neighbourhoods.

 

  • January 18: Members of Jess tribe have gathered at Corniche to protest the murder of the teacher and her daughter, to demand the disclosure of the criminals.

 

  • January 18: Dozens of people from Ezbet town, north of Deir Ezzor, have staged an angry protest, blocking roads with burning rubber tyres. The protestors have demanded the “SDF” to improve living conditions and release detainees in SDF prisons.

 

  • January 19: Hundreds of Al-Jess tribesmen gathered in front of the home of the teacher, who and her little daughter, were killed in Al-Mukhtalat neighborhood of Al-Raqqah earlier this month. The protesters demanded that the SDF hand the perpetrators of the crime over to the protesters.

 

  • January 20: Tens of residents protested in Al-Jerthi town in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor and set fire to rubber tyres blocking the roads. The protestors called for providing higher quality of bread, especially after authorities have secured good quality of flour.

 

  • January 20: A demonstration took place in Hawayij Bosam’a village in western Deir Ezzor, where the protestors opposed the SDF policies and called for improving the living situation in the region.

 

  • January 21: Dozens of people from Abriha village, east of Deir Ezzor, staged angry protests, setting rubber tyres to blaze and blocking the roads, to demand better living conditions and the release of detainees arrested by SDF. It is worth noting that the people began to stage several protests after a campaign of raids carried out by the “SDF” on river crossings to stop smuggling.

 

  • January 22: Thousands of people from Al-Raqqah marched in a mass popular demonstration from the house of the murdered female teacher, Nur Al-Ahmad, who was killed with her daughter last Monday in Al-Mashlab neighbourhood of Al-Raqqah by thieves. Hundreds of activists and tribal dignitaries in Al-Raqqah took part in the demonstration.

 

  • January 22: Dozens of residents of Al-Harijiyah village, north of Deir Ezzor, gathered in angry demonstrations amid blocking public roads with burning rubber tyres, in protest against bread rations being reduced as bread ration is one loaf per person per day, and does not meet civilian’s daily needs.

 

  • January 24: Dozens of people from Al-Jaradhi town in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor staged an angry demonstration, blocking roads with burning rubber tyres. The people called for improving living conditions and the elimination of rampant corruption in “Autonomous Administration” departments of Al-Jaradhi town.

 

  • January 27: Dozens of people from Ezbet and Ma’izila areas in the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor staged angry protests, setting rubber tyres to blaze and blocking the roads, to demand improving living conditions and health and education services and the release of detainees arrested by SDF.

 

  • January 28: Dozens of civilians staged angry protests in Ma’izila and Ezbet areas of the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor, demanding the release of detainees arrested by SDF, amid blocking the main road leading to Koniko gas field and a Ma’izila market with burning tyres.

 

  • January 28: The bread bakery of Abu Khashab town, north of Deir Ezzor, was closed by the Bread Bakeries committee of Autonomous Administration for a month due to poor bread and manipulation of the weight of the bread “tie” by the owner of the bread bakery, despite receiving the imported flour.

 

  • January 29: Popular protests renewed for a third consecutive day in Al-Ezba and Al-Maaizaleh towns in the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor. Dozens of people staged protests, demanding the release of innocent detainees by the SDF amid blocking the main road with burning tyres.