Protests erupted in Damascus early Christmas eve after a video circulated online showing a public Christmas tree being set on fire in the Christian-majority town of Suqaylabiyah, near Hama.
The footage, which spread rapidly on social media, sparked outrage among the Christian community in Syria.
Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in Christian neighborhoods of Damascus, marching towards the Orthodox Patriarchate in the Bab Sharqi district, CNN reports.
Protesters carried banners and chanted: “We demand the rights of Christians.”
The Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which currently controls large parts of Syria, claimed that the tree was burned by foreign fighters from an unaffiliated faction and promised to restore the decoration.
Pastor Georges, one of the protestors, expressed the community's grief and frustration, telling the outlet: “If we're not allowed to live our Christian faith in our own country, then where do we belong?”
The incident comes weeks after opposition forces, led by HTS, successfully overthrew President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Despite HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa’s assurances that minorities would be protected, fear and uncertainty remain high among Syria’s Christian population.
While HTS has not imposed restrictions on Christmas celebrations, residents report scaling back festivities amid concerns over rogue militant elements operating outside HTS control.
Barbara Wiers, a local Christian leader said: “We will rebuild, we will celebrate, and we will not let hatred extinguish our light.”