cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/12803813

Syria is witnessing its widest wave of protests since the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Are Syrians beginning to turn against Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani?

A sharp increase in fuel prices has triggered demonstrations, burning tires and road blockades across multiple Syrian governorates, including areas in Idlib and Aleppo that once formed the heartland of the anti-Assad rebellion.

Diesel prices jumped by 40%, while petrol prices also rose sharply, placing even greater pressure on Syrians already struggling with transportation costs, food prices, electricity shortages and a devastated economy.

Protesters have blocked major roads, including sections of the Damascus-Aleppo highway, while demonstrations have spread through areas including Maarat al-Numan, Idlib, Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor and Hasakah.

The immediate demand is economic. But the bigger question is political:

Is the honeymoon between Syrians and the post-Assad government beginning to end?

In this Monday Geopolitics livestream, Kevork Almassian examines what the protests tell us about Ahmed al-Sharaa's government, Syria's worsening economic situation and the growing gap between the promises of “liberation” and the reality Syrians are living today.