Syria's Christians attend Christmas mass for first time since fall of Assad

Syrian Christians attended Christmas Eve services on Tuesday for the first time since the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad in early December, in an early test of the new Islamist rulers' pledges to protect the rights of the country's religious minorities.

The service was held amid tight security due to concerns of violence against Christian sites, with several pickup cars belonging to the now ruling Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) parked around the church.

The pews of Lady of Damascus Church in Syria's capital filled with a mixed congregation of young and old, holding candles as hymns filled the air and echoed through the church.

Hours before the service, hundreds of protesters in Damascus had gathered to denounce an incident in which a Christmas tree was burned in the northern countryside of Hama governorate in western-central Syria.

Carrying wooden crosses, they chanted "We are your soldiers, Jesus," "With blood and soul, we sacrifice for Jesus," and "The Syrian people are one."

Protester Laila Farkouh said: "We are protesting to demand our rights and denounce... The burning of the Christmas tree, and attacks on churches.. We do not accept this."

Reuters