Dozens of civil and rights activists held a sit-in Nov. 19 in front of the Palace of Justice in the city of Suwayda southeast of the Syrian capital, Damascus, in protest against the rise of crimes against women and girls that perpetrators have referred to as "honor killings."

The protesters held banners reading “We will seek justice,” “The killer has no honor,” “Crime and honor do not meet,” “Killing women is not honorable,” “You killed because she was a woman,” “You killed her because you are a criminal,” “We want the rule of law” and “The law is our security and protection.”

According to media sources, the protests came in response to a significant rise of honor killings against women in Suwayda. Most recently on Nov. 7, locals told police about a man and a woman who hid the body of a woman in her 30s in a remote area after the man in question killed her by hitting her in the head with an ax. Police arrested the suspects and an investigation revealed that they were the victim’s uncle and mother.

In response, activists launched on social media an Arabic hashtag that roughly translates into “We will seek justice,” coinciding with the Nov. 19 sit-in.