Hundreds of Syrians protested in central Damascus on Sunday against new restrictions on alcohol sales, reflecting wider fears that the Islamist authorities may tighten curbs on personal freedoms.Â
The Syrian capital last week banned the sale of alcoholic beverages in restaurants and bars, only allowing stores in three Christian neighbourhoods to sell bottles for retail.
kAmx? @?6 @7 E96 2C62D[ q23 %F>2[ 56>@?DEC2E@CD 82E96C65 :? 2 D:=6?E AC@E6DE 7@==@H:?8 42==D 3J 4:G:= D@4:6EJ 8C@FAD E@ 4@?56>? 2 >@G6 E96J D2:5 566A6?65 D64E2C:2? 5:G:D:@?D[ H:E9 2EE6?566D 9@=5:?8 A@DE6CD E92E C625 Q!6CD@?2= 7C665@> :D 2 C65 =:?6Q]k^Am
kAm$64FC:EJ 7@C46D >@?:E@C65 E96 82E96C:?8[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2? pu! E62> @? E96 8C@F?5]k^Am
kAm#2>: z@FDD2[ 2 bf\J62C\@=5 E6=6G:D:@? HC:E6C[ H@?56C65 :7 QE96 AFCA@D6 @7 E96D6 564C66D :D E@ E6DE E96 H2E6CD :? @C56C E@ A2DD D:>:=2C 564:D:@?D E@ C6DEC:4E AF3=:4 7C665@>D 2?5 492?86 E96 :56?E:EJ @7 E96 4:EJQ]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D EJA6 @7 564:D:@? H:== ?@E DE2?5[Q 96 25565]k^Am
kAmu@C F?:G6CD:EJ AC@76DD@C w2?2? pDD:[ $JC:2?D 92G6 QE9@FD2?5D @7 7@C8@EE6? :DDF6D[ 7C@> A@G6CEJ E@ E96 5:DA=2465[ E96 9@>6=6DD[ 2?5 C67F866DQ E92E D9@F=5 36 AC:@C:E:D65 :?DE625]Â k^Am
kAm%96 C6DEC:4E:@? 7@==@HD 2 D6C:6D @7 D:>:=2C 564:D:@?D[ =:<6 E96 ?2E:@?H:56 :>A@D:E:@? @7 Q>@56DEQ DH:>H62C @? AF3=:4 362496D 2?5 E96 32??:?8 @7 >2<6FA 7@C AF3=:4 D64E@C H@C<6CD :? {2E2<:2]Â k^Am
kAm%96 >@G6D 92G6 7F6==65 762CD @7 4C66A:?8 D@4:2= 4@?D6CG2E:D> D:?46 E96 xD=2>:DE 2FE9@C:E:6D E@@< @G6C 27E6C E96 a_ac 72== @7 =@?8E:>6 CF=6C q2D92C 2=\pDD25]k^Am
k9am\ VsCF?< H:E9 =@G6V \k^9am
kAm%@ 4@>65:2? |2=<6 |2C5:?2=:[ E96D6 564:D:@?D Q2C6 3C:?8:?8 A6@A=6 E@86E96C :? E96 DBF2C6DQ[ F?:E:?8 E96> :? E96:C @AA@D:E:@?]k^Am
kAm|:C6==2 p3F $92?23[ 2 bf\J62C\@=5 24E:G:DE[ D2:5 D96 36=:6G65 E96 564C66 H2D Q4FEE:?8 @77 A6@A=6VD =:G6=:9@@5D 2?5 5:G:5:?8 s2>2D4FDQ 2=@?8 C6=:8:@FD =:?6D]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D :D 2 >2EE6C @7 A6CD@?2= 7C665@>] (9@6G6C H2?ED E@ 5C:?< 42? 5C:?<[ 2?5 H9@6G6C 5@6D?VE H2?E E@[ 5@6D?VE 92G6 E@]Qk^Am
kAms2>2D4FD 4:EJ 925 ;FDE:7:65 :ED 564:D:@? 3J 4:E:?8 4@>A=2:?ED[ D2J:?8 :E H2D Q2E E96 C6BF6DE @7 E96 =@42= 4@>>F?:EJ[ 2?5 H:E9 E96 2:> @7 6=:>:?2E:?8 AC24E:46D E92E G:@=2E6 AF3=:4 >@C2=DQ]k^Am
kAmx? 2 DE2E6>6?E @? $2EFC52J[ :E D2:5 :E H2D >2:?E2:?:?8 :ED 564:D:@?[ H9:49 5@6D ?@E 2AA=J E@ 9@E6=D[ 2?5 H@F=5 DEF5J 2? 6I6>AE:@? 7@C QE@FC:DE:4Q C6DE2FC2?ED]k^Am
kAm%96 ?6H xD=2>:DE $JC:2? 8@G6C?>6?E 92D A=65865 E@ AC@E64E >:?@C:E:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 r9C:DE:2?D[ 3FE E96 4@F?ECJ 92D 366? D92<6? 3J D6G6C2= :?DE2?46D @7 D64E2C:2? G:@=6?46 D:?46 :ED E2<6@G6C]k^Am
kAmx? 2? :>A=:4:E 4C:E:4:D> @7 E96 564C66[ $@4:2= p772:CD 2?5 {23@FC |:?:DE6C w:?5 "232H2E[ E96 @?=J r9C:DE:2? >:?:DE6C :? $JC:2VD 423:?6E[ D2:5 E9:D H66< @? u2463@@< E92E r9C:DE:2? 5:DEC:4ED Q2C6 ?@E A=246D 7@C 5C:?<D 2?5 2=4@9@=[ 3FE :?DE625 2C6 E96 962CE @7 s2>2D4FD 2?5 :ED 8=@C:@FD 9:DE@CJ[ 2?5 2 A=246 @7 4@6I:DE6?46Q]Â k^Am
kAmQ(6 H6C6 ?6G6C 5CF?<2C5D[ 3FE H6 2C6 5CF?< H:E9 =@G6 7@C $JC:2[Q D96 25565]k^Am
kAm3FC\>2>^?25^D>Hk^Am