Clashes erupt at demonstration for persecuted Alawites in Syria

A demonstration in support of Alawites in Syria turned violent Saturday afternoon when clashes broke out between protesters and counterprotesters. Police intervened to restore order, according to an ANP photographer on the scene. Alawites are a minority group in Syria that follows a branch of Shia Islam.

Between 100 and 150 demonstrators gathered outside the International Criminal Court (ICC) to protest the escalating violence against Alawites and Christians in Syria. According to the photographer, six or seven counterprotesters infiltrated the gathering and were forcefully expelled by the demonstrators, with physical blows exchanged.

Police intervened to break up the altercation, but no arrests were made, a police spokesperson confirmed.

The demonstration was held in response to the recent surge in violence in northwest Syria, where nearly 1,400 civilians have been killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Protesters carried signs with slogans such as "Stop the slaughter, no more bloodshed" and "Just one of the massacres." Many held up photographs of bodies lying in the streets, emphasizing the brutality of the ongoing conflict.

Simultaneously, a separate group of demonstrators gathered outside the ICC in support of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who made his first court appearance on Friday. Duterte faces charges of crimes against humanity. The demonstrators appeared to be supporters of the former leader, although their gathering remained separate from the protest concerning Syria.