Angry street protests by students in South Kurdistan continue

Students at the universities of South Kurdistan (North Iraq) have been protesting for four days against their learning and living conditions. Since 2014, no more allowances have been paid to students. In addition, the demonstrators criticize the condition of dormitories and universities, which restricts their freedom of learning.

In recent days, the security forces have taken massive action against the protests, there were arrests and injuries in several cities through the use of tear gas and water cannons. The protest continued today as well. In Sulaymaniyah, thousands of demonstrators marched in front of the governor’s office.

In Hewlêr (Erbil), students blocked the road to Kirkuk. The security forces arrived with a large contingent and armored vehicles and prevented journalists from following the events.

Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Council of Ministers decided on Wednesday to allocate a budget to support students. The head of the parliamentary education committee, Abdulsalam Dolamari, explained in a post on Facebook that the fund will be used to solve problems with dormitories, provide services and support students.