Sulaimani security forces use live ammunition to disperse protesting school students: witnesses

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Security forces in Sulaimani fired live ammunition to disperse school students protesting in front of the education directorate’s headquarters on Thursday morning, witnesses have told Rudaw.  

Grade 12 students gathered in front of the directorate’s building for the fourth day in a row, a protesting student told Rudaw’s Horvan Rafaat. Protesters are calling for various reforms, including their pre-exam study period to be reverted to 40 days, after it was reduced to 28. 

“What we want is that the 40 days that was reduced to 28 be changed back to 40, and the amount of subject included in exams to be reduced,” Dabin Ibrahim, a protesting student told Rafaat on Wednesday.

Security forces fired into the sky as students attempted to break into the building, several students reported.

“The security forces fired into the sky to scare us off, some students did not leave, so they hit them with the back of their weapons and one student got injured,” a student said.

Deputy education director Omar Mohammed told Rudaw that students “attacked” the building with stones, and one was injured trying to break a window. 

Sulaimani’s Director of Education Dlshad Omar said on Wednesday they are unable to extend the reading period for students, but have begun working on other demands.