Protests broke out in Syria over the burning of a Christmas tree near the city of Hama.
A video posted on social media showed masked gunmen setting fire to the tree on display in the main square of Suqaylabiyah, a Christian-majority town in central Syria.
The main Islamist faction that led the uprising that toppled President Bashar al-Assad said the men responsible for the arson were foreign fighters and had been arrested and that the tree would be repaired quickly.
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across the country and demanded that the new Islamist rulers protect religious minorities.
In the Damascus district of Bab Touma, demonstrators carried a cross and Syrian flags and chanted: “We will sacrifice our souls for our cross.”
“If we are no longer allowed to live our Christian faith in our country as we used to, then we no longer belong here,” a demonstrator named Georges told the AFP news agency.
Syria is home to many ethnic and religious groups, including Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, Christians, Druze, Alawite Shiites and Arab Sunnis, the latter of which make up the majority of the Muslim population.
Just over two weeks ago, Bashar al-Assad’s presidency fell to the rebels, ending more than 50 years of rule by the Assad family.
It remains to be seen how the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group will govern Syria. The group has a jihadist past, from which it has distanced itself, and an Islamist present.
As the militants marched on Damascus earlier this month, their leaders spoke about building a Syria for all Syrians.
Officials also said the rights and freedoms of religious and ethnic minorities would be protected.
HTS remains classified as a terrorist organization by the UN, US, EU and UK, although there are signs that a diplomatic shift may be underway.
On Friday, The US has abolished a $10 million (£7.9 million) bounty at the head of HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, after meetings between senior diplomats and representatives of the group.
The USA continues its military presence in Syria. On Friday they said they carried out an airstrike in the northern city of Deir Ezzor, killing two members of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group.
The presence of foreign fighters, Islamic extremists or even regime supporters who have an interest in creating insecurity and attacking minorities in order to undermine the stability of the country are the major challenge that the new Islamic leadership will face.
