The protests come after an armed coalition led by Islamists recently overthrew the government of Bashar al-Assad, who had previously portrayed himself as a protector of minorities in Syria. The burning of the Christmas tree, captured in a video that circulated on social media, sparked outrage among Christians.
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The attackers were reportedly fighters from the Islamist group Ansar al-Tawhid, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. A religious leader from the victorious militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) condemned the incident, promising that those responsible would be punished and that the tree would be restored.
HTS, rooted in Al-Qaeda and supported by Turkey, has pledged to protect minorities in the areas it controls, despite the growing tensions between sectarian groups following the recent regime shift.
