Anti-government protests in Syria spurred by economic crisis and inflation Anti-government anger is mounting in southern Syria, where rare protests in the heartland of the minority Druze community are now into their second week. The protests were initially driven by surging inflation and the war-torn country's economic crisis, but have quickly shifted focus, with marchers now calling for the fall of the Assad government. The demonstrations are centered on a region that's largely stayed on the sidelines during more than a decade of civil war: the government-controlled province of Sweida. The protests were initially sparked by Assad's move to raise public sector salaries while scaling back fuel and gas subsidies. We take a closer look.