Anti-Assad protests in Syria's Suweida enter second week

For the past two weeks, anti-government protests in Syria have been gaining momentum, especially in Suweida in the southwest of the country.

The protests were initially driven by surging inflation and the worsening cost of living amid the war-torn country’s crumbling economy, but quickly shifted focus, with marchers calling for the fall of the Assad regime.

The epicentre of the protests sweeping through Syria is Sweida, a regime-controlled province and the heartland of Druze Syria.

The Druze flag waving above demonstrators was a common sight, as were banners of President Bashar al-Assad being set on fire.

The resurgent protests are notable because Syria's Druze community had been neutral during the civil war that has raged since