Security Forces Disperse Student Demonstration in Iraqi Kurdistan

Riot police confront students protesting against cutting their stipends in Sulaymaniyah (AFP)
Riot police confront students protesting against cutting their stipends in Sulaymaniyah (AFP)
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Security Forces Disperse Student Demonstration in Iraqi Kurdistan

Riot police confront students protesting against cutting their stipends in Sulaymaniyah (AFP)
Riot police confront students protesting against cutting their stipends in Sulaymaniyah (AFP)

Security forces in the northern city of Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, on Tuesday, dispersed thousands of students partaking in a demonstration demanding the restoration of monthly payments.

Riot police disbanded the protest, firing shots in the air and a volley of tear gas canisters.

Such turmoil and severe social inequalities affect the image of the Kurdistan region, which is trying to emerge as a haven for stability and economic prosperity in an Iraq that repeated wars have undermined.

According to AFP, thousands of students gathered on Tuesday for the third day in a row in front of Sulaymaniyah University and blocked the highway linking Sulaymaniyah to the city of Kirkuk.

Demonstrators are demanding the repayment of $40-$66 monthly allowances that were granted to students but have been suspended since 2014.

The financial stipend program was frozen after the collapse of global oil prices and due to budget disputes between Kurdistan and Baghdad.

Security forces fired tear gas canisters at the demonstrators several times before firing warning shots into the air to force the students to disperse.

This was followed by hit-and-run raids in the city featuring security forces and protesters who set piles of trash on fire.

“We, as students, are demonstrating because of the six-year cut-off in stipends,” said one of the protesters under the conditions of anonymity.

“We desperately need this small amount. There are students among our colleagues who are unable to travel to their home in the districts and sub-districts due to the lack of sufficient funds for that,” they added.

“There are other students who can’t eat three meals a day,” revealed the protester.

“The protesters’ demands are legitimate. Students are suffering from a difficult economic situation, and the government must respond to their demands,” said Sara Qadr, a PhD student at the Sulaymaniyah University.



Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill 10 People, Mostly Women and Children

Palestinians carry the bodies of those who were killed in an overnight Israeli airstrike, during their funeral in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Sunday, May 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians carry the bodies of those who were killed in an overnight Israeli airstrike, during their funeral in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Sunday, May 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
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Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill 10 People, Mostly Women and Children

Palestinians carry the bodies of those who were killed in an overnight Israeli airstrike, during their funeral in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Sunday, May 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians carry the bodies of those who were killed in an overnight Israeli airstrike, during their funeral in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Sunday, May 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israeli strikes overnight and into Sunday killed 10 people in the Gaza Strip, mostly women and children, according to local health officials.
Two of the strikes hit tents in the southern city of Khan Younis, each killing two children and their parents. Other strikes killed a child and a man riding a bicycle, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies from all the strikes.
Israel has sealed Gaza off from all imports, including food, medicine and emergency shelter, for over 10 weeks in what it says is a pressure tactic aimed at forcing Hamas to release hostages. Israel resumed its offensive in March, shattering a ceasefire that had facilitated the release of more than 30 hostages.
Aid groups say food supplies are running low and hunger is widespread.
Israel’s offensive has killed over 52,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The offensive has destroyed vast areas of the territory and displaced some 90% of its population of around 2 million.