Protests have erupted in Syria after masked gunmen set a Christmas tree ablaze near the city of Hama.
An online video has depicted gunmen, wearing masks, setting fire to the tree in the central square of the Sugaylabiyah, which is a mostly Christian town.
The main Islamist faction which ousted former President Bashar al-Assad claimed that the arsonists were foreign fighters and had been detained.
As a result, thousands of protesters took to streets across the nation, calling for the new rulers to better protect religious minorities.
In pictures of a neighbourhood in Damascus, some can be seen carrying a cross, as well as Syrian flags, while shouting: “We will sacrifice our souls for our cross.”
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