Syrians protest alcohol restrictions in Damascus

Crowds of Syrians have rallied to protest authorities’ efforts to limit the sale and consumption of alcohol in Damascus. Sunday's demonstration reflected rising anxiety in the cosmopolitan capital that Syria’s new Islamist government may threaten residents’ long-held secular freedoms. Hundreds of protesters including those from a range of religious sects poured into a grassy square in a Christian neighborhood of Damascus to urge the government to safeguard personal liberties and religious minorities. The decision on alcohol limits comes as the interim government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa faces growing pressure from hard-liners to impose more conservative religious values.