Militants stifle civil society in Syria's Idlib
Civil society groups in Syria’s Idlib are doing what they can to provide aid to about 1 million citizens, despite pressure by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an al-Qaeda-linked group that is trying to impose its own presence in the province.
When Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) stormed into town, Yehiya Sobieh rounded up as many people as he could to start a protest. On June 9, the people of Maarat al-Numan, a small city located in Syria’s last rebel-held stronghold of Idlib, mobilized to protect local fighters from the al-Qaeda-linked group.
Many chanted “Shabiha, Shabiha, leave our city now,” which is a term that originally referred to state-sponsored gangs that terrorized protesters at the beginning of the Syrian revolution. That day, demonstrators held their ground until HTS retreated, signaling a clear victory for civil society.
“Al-Qaeda came to our streets to try to kill and arrest our soldiers. That’s why civil activists started encouraging everyone to protest,” Sobieh, an independent digital security activist from Maarat al-Numan, told Al-Monitor over the phone.
“[Al-Qaeda] tried to shoot in the air and then shoot at our feet, but we didn’t disperse,” he said.
