Dozens killed, injured in Iraq’s Kurdistan protests as some consider leaving
Protests in the southeastern part of the Kurdistan Region over unpaid public sector salaries amid an ongoing budget dispute with Baghdad have led to several deaths.
ERBIL, Iraqi Kurdistan — Protests beginning Dec. 2 in Sulaimaniyah over unpaid public sector salaries have escalated, with political party headquarters and government buildings burned, several killed and scores injured in the southeastern part of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Anger surged despite Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) appeals for calm ahead of meetings in Baghdad. Civil servants in Iraqi Kurdistan have for years suffered from irregular income due to budget disputes with the central government as well as the fight against the Islamic State (IS), falling oil prices, and — more recently — the coronavirus pandemic.
