News Center — Women in Suwayda expressed their solidarity with the Kurdish people in North and East Syria, stressing the need for a shared struggle for freedom, democracy, and human rights.

Residents of the Syrian city of Suwayda held a protest on Saturday, January 17, in al-Karama Square in solidarity with the Kurdish people.

The square witnessed a large presence of women who condemned the recent abuses against Kurds in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, noting that similar repressive practices had previously been experienced by Suwayda and other cities at the hands of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham

Participants chanted slogans affirming solidarity with all who share values of freedom and humanistic thought, and raised banners expressing support for the Kurdish cause.

On the sidelines of the protest, Khuzama al-Bunni said: “Today we gather here in al-Karama Square to say with one voice and one will that we stand with our Kurdish brothers and sisters who have been subjected to systematic violations—the same practices previously suffered by the people of Suwayda and the coast, as well as our communities in Ashrafieh, Sahnaya, and Jaramana. Everyone has faced the same massacres.”

she added that the slogan “The state is ours and we are the state” collapsed with the fall of the former regime, emphasizing that Suwayda’s struggle was never about reproducing the same oppressive mentality, but about achieving freedom, democracy, human rights, and building a homeland based on genuine partnership.

Addressing the Kurdish people, she reaffirmed the steadfast position of Suwayda’s residents, calling on Kurds to unite around their leadership and continue their legitimate struggle as holders of historical rights to land taken from them over centuries, stressing that their rights are inherent and not a favor from anyone.

Activist Manal Kanaan stated: “We coordinated this protest from villages and towns across Suwayda—from Shahba to Salakhad, Bakkal, and al-Ghariya—to stand in solidarity with our Kurdish people who have made great sacrifices.” She added, “We have all been subjected to a fierce campaign, and we hope this protest will be a stand for justice and resilience, and genuine support for our Kurdish people.”

Amal Salem Danoun from Shahba said: “Our fate is shared, the enemy is one, and the injustice we face is the same.”

She noted that civilians—especially women and children—are subjected to all forms of violations, prompting them to raise their voices and say “Enough.”

Somaya al-Youssef also affirmed her solidarity and support for Kurds in North and East Syria, rejecting the labeling of them as “militias” by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants, stating that Kurds are in fact an educated and conscious people who respect human values, contrary to what is being promoted against them.

She stressed that what is happening in Syria is the result of a “state of terrorism” responsible for dismantling Syrian society and killing its people from all sects—Alawite, Druze, Christian, Kurdish, and even moderate Muslims. She categorically rejected any form of coexistence with this system after its crimes of killing, burning, abducting women, and directly targeting societal dignity, warning of the danger these groups pose to Syria and the world due to their extremist, violence-based ideology.