Damascus residents protest alcohol restrictions seen as sectarian move

Protest in Bab Touma

Hundreds of Syrians from across religious communities gathered in Bab Touma, a Christian neighborhood in Damascus, to oppose a new decree restricting the sale and on-site service of alcohol across the capital. Demonstrators carried signs defending personal freedoms and unity, saying the measure — which forces restaurants and nightclubs to remove alcoholic offerings or convert licenses within three months — risks undermining long-held secular practices. Heavily armed security forces monitored the rally, which passed without incident.

Authorities drew criticism after the decree allowed alcohol sales mainly in three predominantly Christian districts but only as sealed take-away bottles and barred sales near mosques, schools and government offices. Critics say singling out those neighborhoods effectively stigmatizes Christians and could heighten sectarian tensions as Syria’s interim government, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, faces pressure from hard-liners to impose conservative social rules. Damascus officials later apologized for any misunderstanding, clarified hotels are exempt and defended the regulation as comparable to laws elsewhere, calling it unrelated to personal freedoms, as reported by AP News