Hundreds of Syrian Christians took to the streets of Damascus on Tuesday to protest the burning of a Christmas tree that took place in another town on Monday night.
Video footage of two unidentified men was shared on social media on Monday night that showed them setting the tree on fire in the main square of the Suqaylabiyah, a Christian-majority town in the province of Hama, according to Politico.
The protest comes just weeks after rebel forces in Syria stormed Damascus and took control of the country's government. The new regime is considered by many to be a step up from former dictator Bashar Assad.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the main Islamist faction that led the uprising, said the men who burned the tree were foreign fighters who have been detained over the incident, the BBC reported.
The protesters urged the new government to step in and help protect Christians in the Middle Eastern country. Some of the protesters also chanted against foreign fighters in Syria, and others carried a cross and Syrian flags.
"If we're not allowed to live our Christian faith in our country, as we used to, then we don't belong here anymore," a demonstrator named Georges told AFP news agency.
One rebel from the current regime promised that the tree would be restored for Christmas.
