The leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has made another public appearance. He took part in the Eid al-Fitr festivities in the marketplace of the city of Idlib, northern Syria, on the night of May 1. 

Videos are circulating of Golani surrounded by dozens of heavily armed men, some in civilian clothes, as he walked in the city’s main souk as a crowd of residents took photos with him.

The crowds chanted welcoming messages for Golani such as “Long live our emir.”

A media activist in Idlib told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, “Golani’s visit to Idlib city is an outrageous and common ploy designed to show that he is very popular and supported by the residents in the HTS-controlled areas." Only fools would fall for it, he said. "Everyone knows that much the crowd in the souk was his own security staff. His public appearances cannot distract from the dire economic and security situation in HTS’ stronghold. The way he showed up in the souk is similar to how Syrian regime President Bashar al-Assad does in areas under his control.”