"Bar owners in Damascus condemned a newly imposed ban on alcohol in Damascus, describing it as 'disastrous' and warning of its social and economic impact. “The decision creates discord among members of society, stigmatises certain groups as immoral and ill-mannered, promotes regional discrimination, harms tourism, displaces forty thousand workers from their homes, disrupts a massive supply chain in Damascus, and alters the city’s identity and culture. It is a disaster,” bar owner Shadi Marine said. “The decision that was made is an insult to the community and neighbourhood within the Old City of Damascus, one of the world's oldest cities, with a history dating back 12,000 years. It is an insult to civil society and to an authentic community that has been rooted in Damascus for thousands of years,” Kamil Sabbagh, another bar owner, added.  Footage filmed on Thursday shows residents moving through the capital’s streets.  The Damascus Governorate announced a ban on serving alcohol in restaurants and nightclubs across the city on Monday.  Under the decision, the sale of sealed alcoholic beverages will be limited to designated shops in the areas of Bab Tuma, Al-Qassa and Bab Sharqi.  Authorities also require such shops to be located at least 75 metres from mosques, churches, schools and cemeteries, and at least 20 metres from police stations and government offices.  In December 2024, the current transitional government seized power in Syria, and Ahmed al-Sharaa was later named transitional president, promising an inclusive government.  "