Large-scale protests erupt in Syria over rising fuel prices

Massive protests have erupted in Syria over a sharp rise in fuel prices, the largest demonstrations in the country since the fall of Bashar al-Assadʼs regime nearly two years ago.

Reuters reports this.

Protesters burned tires and blocked key roads, including the Damascus-Aleppo highway, and blocked oil tanker convoys heading to refineries in the central part of the country.

On Saturday, the government raised the price of diesel fuel by 40% to $1.32 per liter. Prices for 95-octane gasoline increased by 28% to $1.47, for 90-octane gasoline by 26% to $1.40, and for gas for domestic and industrial needs by about 9%.

Some protesters demanded the resignation of the ministers of energy and economy, as well as the head of the Syrian Oil Company. The Ministry of Energy said that the price increase was temporary and that prices could be revised. The reason for the increase was the increase in global procurement costs and Syriaʼs dependence on imports.

• The UN estimates that approximately 90% of Syrians live below the poverty line. Rising fuel prices have increased economic pressure on citizens. The shortage of petroleum products in Syria has been further exacerbated by the three-month closure of the countryʼs largest refinery in Baniyas.

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