Rare protests in Syria calling for the ouster of the authoritarian government have gathered momentum over the past two weeks, in scenes reminiscent of the Arab Spring uprising that began more than 12 years ago and morphed into a multisided war.
The protests grew out of anger over increasing economic hardships that boiled over into demands for a political settlement to the war, which is largely at a stalemate. They have grown daily, drawing hundreds of people who at times have torn down the ubiquitous posters of President Bashar Assad and shuttered offices of the political party loyal to him.