Behind the Idlib Protests
The Syrian government is not the only actor to be facing sustained protests against its rule. In the ‘liberated’ northwest of Syria- specifically the region of Idlib and its environs- there have been widespread demonstrations over the past three months or so against some of the policies of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, the dominant insurgent faction, led by Abu Muhammad al-Jowlani. Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham exercises authority not only through its military wing but also various bodies that are nominally independent but in fact backed and controlled by the group, such as the ‘Salvation Government’ and the ‘Public Security Apparatus.’ Ultimately, the status quo in the northwest- sustained since 2020 by a ceasefire arrangement brokered between Russia and Turkey- has given rise to a system that has many parallels with how Hamas governed Gaza prior to Israel’s latest military campaign: one faction exerting hegemony and implementing an Islamist, authoritarian mode of governance.
Unsurprisingly, such a status quo in Idlib and its environs has generated considerable dissatisfaction for a variety of reasons. For their part, supporters of Abu Muhammad al-Jowlani have tried to frame the protests as somehow influenced and driven by ‘malign’ actors. To discuss the protests further, I conducted an interview on 21 May with Abu Muhammad Nasr, originally from Aleppo, a critic ofAbu Muhammad al-Jowlani and a supporter of the protests. He was part of the wing of the jihadist group Jabhat Ansar al-Din that broke with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.
Q: For how long have the protests continued in the north, in which areas have they spread and do these protests consist of large crowds?
A: In the name of God. Praise be to God and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of God, his family, companions and those who are loyal to him. As for what follows:
The level of the demonstrations has intensified over the past three months. Of course, before this, there were demonstrations coming out in some areas to demand the release of detainees and there were other demands. But for the recent popular mobilisation, its first demonstrations came out on 25 February 2024.