Protests continue in Syria over fuel price hikes

For the second day in a row, several Syrian cities witnessed popular protests rejecting the decision to raise fuel prices and modify government subsidies for fuel, amid demands for a reversal of the decision. The protests spread from Syria’s northeastern provinces to Aleppo and Idlib, with roads blocked and tires set ablaze, amid talk of calls for a strike in protest of the new prices. The demonstrations followed the approval by the Standing Committee for Determining Prices of Petroleum Products and Mineral Resources of a new price schedule, which began to take effect on Sunday. The price of a liter of 95-octane gasoline rose to 195 Syrian pounds, compared to 152 pounds previously, while the price of 90-octane gasoline was set at 185 pounds. The price of a liter of diesel fuel increased to 175 pounds, up from 125 pounds. The government stated that the price adjustments are temporary and linked to exceptional circumstances, while economic experts have warned of the decision’s repercussions on production, purchasing power, and the worsening of living pressures on millions of Syrians.