Syrians hold a silent sit-in, called for by civil society, Christians, and shop owners affected by an official decision banning the sale of alcoholic beverages except in specific locations and demanding an end to state interference in personal freedoms and the sectarian division of society, in Bab Touma in Damascus on March 22, 2026. Syria's capital on March 16, 2026, restricted the sale of alcoholic beverages to select Christian neighbourhoods, the latest incident hinting at increasing social conservatism under Islamist authorities. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP via Getty Images)