Alawites gather during a demonstration in Latakia, Syria, on Nov. 25, 2025, to demand federalism and the release of detained members of their community. (Credit: Haidar Mustafa/Reuters)
A wave of flags in the colors of the new Syria swept across Sheikh Daher Square on Nov. 28. In Latakia, as in other major cities across the country, thousands gathered for the first anniversary of the launch of the victorious Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham offensive, which freed the country from the grip of dictator Bashar al-Assad. From this day until the grand celebration on Dec. 8, the day the rebels arrived at the presidential palace, all of Syria is living in celebration mode. But the deserted streets of the Alawite district of Damsarkho revealed a different reality. Here, the minority from which the former president hails remained cloistered at home, while outside their windows the festivities continued late into the night.Face-to-faceA few days earlier, a different kind of protest had broken out in Latakia, after the killing of a Sunni...
A wave of flags in the colors of the new Syria swept across Sheikh Daher Square on Nov. 28. In Latakia, as in other major cities across the country, thousands gathered for the first anniversary of the launch of the victorious Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham offensive, which freed the country from the grip of dictator Bashar al-Assad. From this day until the grand celebration on Dec. 8, the day the rebels arrived at the presidential palace, all of Syria is living in celebration mode. But the deserted streets of the Alawite district of Damsarkho revealed a different reality. Here, the minority from which the former president hails remained cloistered at home, while outside their windows the festivities continued late into the night.Face-to-faceA few days earlier, a different kind of protest had broken out in Latakia, after the killing of a Sunni...