For the fifth day in a row, protests against the Southern Kurdistan regional government are taking place in the Sulaymaniyah area. The people’s frustration is directed against salary cuts and Hewlêr’s inability to provide elementary services.
In the Sulaymaniyah city of Southern Kurdistan, protests against the KDP-led government in Hewlêr (Erbil) continued on Sunday. The protest is directed against the political elite, mismanagement, corruption and high unemployment. Most of the demonstrators are employees from the education sector and public service, who are demanding outstanding wages and protesting against salary cuts. But people’s anger is also piling up due to the deterioration of public services, water pollution and lack of electricity.
In the Piremegrun district, northwest of Sulaymaniyah, protesters blocked the road between Dukan and Sulaymaniyah. In the evening the local offices of the KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party) and PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) were set on fire. A team from the NTV television station was denied access to the site. Road blockades also occurred in Takya near Chamchamal.
During a demonstration in Ranya, clashes erupted between demonstrators and security forces after the crowd was prevented from moving to the city’s administrative building. According to RojNews agency, about thirty people were arrested and several people were injured. The exact number was initially unclear. On Thursday, 25 people had been injured in Ranya as a result of attacks by police and Asayish (local public security).