Protesters demand to return home to Syria's Deir ez-Zor
Displaced Syrians are calling for regime forces and Iranian-backed fighters to withdraw from Deir ez-Zor province, while the anti-regime Syrian Democratic Forces fear such protests could spiral out of control and turn against them.
ALEPPO, Syria — Friday protests continued Oct. 4 as civilians took to the streets in Deir ez-Zor province on the east bank of the Euphrates River.
Protesters in areas controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) demand to be given back the towns and land from which they were displaced in recent years by battles pitting regime forces and Iranian-backed fighters against the Islamic State (IS).
A similar protest was staged Sept. 27 in the SDF-controlled al-Maamel area, held in support of demonstrators who died in Sept. 20 protests near Salhiya crossing. That crossing connects SDF-controlled areas to those controlled by the regime. During the Sept. 20 protests, clashes broke out between demonstrators and regime forces as protesters burned pictures of President Bashar al-Assad.
Since Sept. 20, protests have taken place every Friday across the province.
