Christmas tree burning ignites protests across Syria (VIDEO)

The country’s Christians fear persecution following the fall of Bashar Assad’s government

Christians have held protests on the streets of Suqaylabiyah, Syria, after a group of Islamist fighters torched a Christmas tree in the town earlier this week. The incident has stirred anger among local residents, who view the act as a deliberate attack on their community and religious identity.

Islamist authorities in Damascus have attributed the arson to foreign jihadist elements operating within the region, and have pledged to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Video posted online on Monday showed a group of masked men starting a fire at the base of the tree, which towered above a roundabout in the majority-Christian town. Unconfirmed reports claim that the men prevented locals from extinguishing the blaze.

Within hours, another video circulated showing an unidentified rebel standing with a Christian priest next to the tree, promising that it would be “completely restored” by Christmas Eve. The rebel claimed that eight foreign fighters were behind the burning, and that they had been arrested.