Second Day of Widespread Protests in Iraqi Kurdistan

Angry protesters demonstrated for the second day on Tuesday, December 19, in Iraqi Kurdistan against the authorities of the region, attacking the ruling party's building in Sulaymaniyah and setting fire to the mayor's office. According to Agence France-Presse, the protesters are voicing their discontent over the consequences of the September referendum, which resulted in the loss of Kurdish control over various areas in northern Iraq, as well as the mismanagement of the regional government in paying overdue salaries to employees. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), whose office was set ablaze in Sulaymaniyah on Tuesday, organized the independence referendum last September. Reports indicate that security forces in Sulaymaniyah had to fire warning shots to disperse protesters, who numbered over three thousand and were heading towards the city’s central square. Security personnel also blocked streets in various parts of the city and closed all routes to the offices of major political parties. Reports suggest that other cities in Sulaymaniyah province, including Ranya, Kifri, Halabja, and Qushtapa, have also witnessed protests and demonstrations in the past two days. In Halabja and Taqtaq, protesters have blocked the main bridges connecting these cities to Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region. Sulaymaniyah is the main base of opposition parties against Masoud Barzani, the head of the Kurdistan Regional Government. Despite global recommendations, Masoud Barzani held an independence referendum in September, in which the majority of participants voted for independence, but this has had severe consequences for the region. In response to the referendum, the central government of Iraq sent its forces to reclaim most disputed areas with the Kurdistan Region, including the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. The loss of oil revenue from Kirkuk, which was the main source of income for the Kurdistan government, along with the closure of land and air borders, has placed the regional government in a severe economic crisis. In this context, a day earlier, on Monday, thousands protested in various cities of the Kurdistan Region against the lack of government services and delays in paying salaries to public employees. According to the German news agency, members of the Kurdish security forces, known as Peshmerga, also participated in these protests. According to Reuters, teachers, hospital staff, and other public employees in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq are participating in these protests, with some stating that they have not received salaries for 'three years'. In this regard, protesters have 'set fire to' the offices of parties and government buildings in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.