"Southern Syria Protests Escalate: Demands for President Bashar's Resignation"

Protests in southern Syria, initially sparked by the country's economic crisis, have evolved into calls for President Bashar al-Assad to step down. Demonstrators in Sweida and Daraa provinces expressed their discontent with the worsening living conditions and the plummeting currency. The protests, which are unusual in government-controlled areas, have gained momentum despite divisions within the Druze leadership. While some Druze sheikhs criticize the calls for al-Assad's resignation, others support the demands for political change. The 2011 protests in Daraa, where the current demonstrations also took place, marked the beginning of the ongoing Syrian conflict.