Security, medical sources, and residents reported that at least eight people were killed and dozens more injured on Tuesday when U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces fired live ammunition to disperse protests by Arab clans against their rule in the city of Manbij in northern Syria. The protests turned violent as hundreds of demonstrators participated in marches near checkpoints around the city, following the killing of a civilian during protests demanding an end to the Kurdish minority's rule over a predominantly Arab population.
These disturbances are the deadliest to hit the majority-Arab city since the Syrian Democratic Forces took control of it five years ago after ousting the Islamic State. The Syrian Democratic Forces are a U.S.-backed armed group led by Kurdish People's Protection Units.
Residents and tribal leaders stated that dissatisfaction with the Syrian Democratic Forces' governance has increased in northern and eastern Syria among the predominantly Arab population. Many residents oppose compulsory military service for young people and discrimination against Arabs in high-ranking jobs.
Local residents and tribal leaders also pointed to the presence of thousands of detainees in Syrian Democratic Forces prisons as a source of frustration. Authorities from the Syrian Democratic Forces imposed a curfew in the city and bolstered checkpoints on main roads after many shopkeepers responded to a call for a general strike.
The Syrian Democratic Forces deny any discrimination against Arabs. The control of Manbij by the Syrian Democratic Forces, with significant backing from the U.S.-led coalition, has raised concerns in Turkey, which views the influence of the People’s Protection Units in northern Syria as a threat to its national security.
