Syrian activists have called for a peaceful sit-in to be held on Friday, April 17, 2026, at Yusuf al-Azma Square in the capital, Damascus. Organized under the slogan “Law and Dignity,” the protest aims to demand living, economic, and political reforms in light of deteriorating conditions and the rising cost of living.
The statement issued by the organizers outlined 20 specific demands addressing various economic, service, and political sectors. It emphasized the necessity of halting any further increases in prices, fees, and tariffs before correcting wages, and insisted on linking salaries and pensions to a realistic cost-of-living basket and a transparent price index.
The statement further clarified the need for an immediate review of electricity, water, fuel, transportation, and telecommunications tariffs to align with citizens’ purchasing power. It also called for combating monopolies, preventing price manipulation, and protecting citizens from pricing chaos and market greed.
According to the statement, other key demands include:
Protection of Public Services: Safeguarding essential services such as electricity, water, health, education, and bread as fundamental rights rather than commodities, and rejecting their privatization or sale without prior study, accountability, and transparency.
Quality of Life: Ensuring quality healthcare, education, and dignified employment by improving the salaries of medical and educational staff, reducing education costs, and supporting local production and small-to-medium crafts and professions.
Administrative Reform: Adopting merit and integrity as the basis for appointments and promotions, ending nepotism, and building a fair social safety net for low-income earners, retirees, the elderly, and the most vulnerable families.
Constitutional Rights: Emphasizing non-infringement on individual and public freedoms and constitutional rights.
Furthermore, the statement urged the reversal of “unjust and discriminatory” regulatory decisions and called for officials to be appointed based on competence. It advocated for the election of local councils that represent the interests of citizens—with expanded powers—and stipulated that city governors should be local residents known for their integrity and expertise.
Regarding economic and legal grievances, the statement pointed to the necessity of reviewing cases of arbitrary dismissal of public sector employees. It also called for revoking eviction orders for shops and real estate that harm merchants and artisans, and expressed a firm rejection of the seizure of land and property.
The statement concluded by stressing the importance of the transitional government’s commitment to activating the transitional justice path and preparing for a political transition process. It called for transparency in decision-making, the holding of free elections for unions and economic chambers, and the establishment of an independent, honest, and transparent judiciary, alongside providing support for Syrian investors, industrialists, craftsmen, and merchants.
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