Syria's Druze minority stages protests demanding autonomy from Damascus

Hundreds of people demonstrated in the southern Syrian city of Sweida, pressing for the self-determination of the Druze people. Protesters demanded full independence from Syria, dismissing ideas of federalism or autonomy as inadequate. Speakers at the protest argued that statehood would guarantee their security, citing recent episodes of violence as evidence that inter-ethnic coexistence under one state is no longer a viable solution.