Kurdistan
Student protests resumed in the Kurdistan Region on December 5, 2021. Photos: Rudaw/screenshot
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Student protests resumed in the Kurdistan Region on Sunday, with participants saying they will continue until their key demands are met, including the reinstatement of monthly allowances, ending political influence, and education reform.
“Our main demand as university protesters is the return of allowances, ending political interference in universities, radical reform in the education sector, and punishing those that punished students [during protests], these are our demands,” Amir Mam Wali, a student protester marching at the front of the protests, dressed in Kurdish clothes told Rudaw TV on Sunday.
Wali added that some services were returned to the dormitories “but our main demands were not met. We will continue this protest until our demands are met.”
Protests resumed in several cities, including Kalar, Halabja, Koya, Ranya and largely in Sulaimani city, but Wali said they are representing students from all across the Kurdistan Region. They had been suspended for several days after they turned violent and injuries were reported.
They started on November 21 at the University of Sulaimani initially to demand the restoration of a living allowance of 40,000 to 100,000 dinars ($27 - $67) per student, which the government cut when it introduced austerity measures like salary cuts to cope with the financial crisis caused by the war with the Islamic State (ISIS), low oil prices, and budget disputes with Baghdad. Without the funds, some students have problems buying food or paying for accommodation.
The allowance was, however, the start of a long list of grievances. The protests soon spread to other cities and towns, including the regional capital Erbil - but were heavily controlled by security forces. Protests also turned violent in Sulaimani with police using force against the demonstrators.
“Our atmosphere might be a bit better in terms of freedom and be able to continue in our own way, but maybe students won’t be able to come to the streets to ask for their rights in Duhok due to the government forces, we are their representatives too, not only the University of Sulaimani, and representatives of students from across the Kurdistan Region who are dissatisfied with the situation,” Wali said.
The protests in Sulaimani city were met with a crackdown as police used electric batons, teargas, rubber bullets, and water cannons to disperse the crowd, several were injured.
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) internal forces, called Asayish, issued a statement saying that there were “some people and sides trying to misdirect the protests for political gains by creating chaos and tension.” Wali also said “the people who created chaos are not in any way affiliated with us.”
The KRG, a few days after the protests, announced it would provide more funds to the ministry of higher education to improve the situation of students, but has yet to announce the amount.
Additional reporting by Sangar Abdulrahman
“Our main demand as university protesters is the return of allowances, ending political interference in universities, radical reform in the education sector, and punishing those that punished students [during protests], these are our demands,” Amir Mam Wali, a student protester marching at the front of the protests, dressed in Kurdish clothes told Rudaw TV on Sunday.
Wali added that some services were returned to the dormitories “but our main demands were not met. We will continue this protest until our demands are met.”
Protests resumed in several cities, including Kalar, Halabja, Koya, Ranya and largely in Sulaimani city, but Wali said they are representing students from all across the Kurdistan Region. They had been suspended for several days after they turned violent and injuries were reported.
They started on November 21 at the University of Sulaimani initially to demand the restoration of a living allowance of 40,000 to 100,000 dinars ($27 - $67) per student, which the government cut when it introduced austerity measures like salary cuts to cope with the financial crisis caused by the war with the Islamic State (ISIS), low oil prices, and budget disputes with Baghdad. Without the funds, some students have problems buying food or paying for accommodation.
The allowance was, however, the start of a long list of grievances. The protests soon spread to other cities and towns, including the regional capital Erbil - but were heavily controlled by security forces. Protests also turned violent in Sulaimani with police using force against the demonstrators.
“Our atmosphere might be a bit better in terms of freedom and be able to continue in our own way, but maybe students won’t be able to come to the streets to ask for their rights in Duhok due to the government forces, we are their representatives too, not only the University of Sulaimani, and representatives of students from across the Kurdistan Region who are dissatisfied with the situation,” Wali said.
The protests in Sulaimani city were met with a crackdown as police used electric batons, teargas, rubber bullets, and water cannons to disperse the crowd, several were injured.
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) internal forces, called Asayish, issued a statement saying that there were “some people and sides trying to misdirect the protests for political gains by creating chaos and tension.” Wali also said “the people who created chaos are not in any way affiliated with us.”
The KRG, a few days after the protests, announced it would provide more funds to the ministry of higher education to improve the situation of students, but has yet to announce the amount.
Additional reporting by Sangar Abdulrahman
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