Syrian authorities refused to allow a number of loyalists to carry out a sit-in on the Syrian coast over the government decision to raise fuel prices by about 40 percent, fearing demonstrations would spread across pro-Assad areas after a number of loyalists also organized a protest last month in the capital Damascus.
The regime faces a big challenge in reducing the tension among its popular base in the areas it still controls as many loyalists have begun to complain of the large number of them who have died in battles on one hand, and the government’s failure to create successful economic policies on the other as the Syrian pound continues to plunge.
The Syrian Coast News Network, a loyalist Facebook page, said on Saturday that it would not be able to proceed with the planned sit-ins which were organized by loyalists in the coastal areas because regime authorities had still refused to permit it.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author
