Striking Teachers in Sulaymaniyah Call for Business Closures as Hunger Strike Reaches Critical Point

Peregraf

Teachers and public employees on strike in Sulaymaniyah have urged shopowners to close their businesses for a few hours tomorrow and called on the public to visit their protest tent in a show of solidarity. Tomorrow will also mark the 15th day of the hunger strike for 12 teachers who have gone without food to protest the prolonged salary crisis. Their health has significantly deteriorated, yet they remain determined to continue despite harsh weather conditions.

Some protesters have reportedly refused medical treatment as a further act of defiance against what they see as government negligence. The ongoing strike has also led to a widespread boycott of schools in Sulaymaniyah, leaving hundreds of thousands of students without education.

The crisis, which has left thousands of teachers and public employees without pay for months, has fueled growing frustration across the Kurdistan Region. While the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has so far remained firm in its position, public outrage is escalating, raising concerns about potential unrest in the coming days.

Meanwhile, security forces affiliated with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) yesterday prevented teachers from entering Erbil. At the Degalla checkpoint, KDP forces used tear gas and water cannons to disperse teachers and public employees attempting to enter the city. The security crackdown is seen as an effort to prevent public sector workers from staging protests in the Kurdish capital over the ongoing salary crisis and the KRG’s failure to implement Iraq’s salary domiciliation initiative, known as “Tawteen.”

As tensions continue to rise, the authorities faces increasing pressure to address the demands of its employees or risk further escalation of protests across the Kurdistan region.