This gallery documents the public demonstrations I have attended in the UK to protest against corruption, human rights abuses, and authoritarianism in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. Each protest represents my commitment to free expression and justice for our people.

📅 Date: 19 May 2025
📍 Location: Manchester
🪧 Theme: Protest against the militarisation of communities and unlawful militias in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region
🎤 Organiser/Group: Kurdish civic activists in the UK

I joined this demonstration to protest the widespread militarisation and the presence of illegal armed militias in both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. These groups create fear and instability among civilians, and many are backed by political parties that exploit them for power. At the end of our protest, we signed a memorandum and submitted it to the Iraqi embassy in the UK, calling for immediate disarmament and accountability. I stood with fellow activists wearing orange vests, holding placards, and calling for peace, protection of human rights, and an end to violence in our communities. Our voice was peaceful but powerful.

📅 Date: 5 February 2025
📍 Location: Birmingham, outside the Library of Birmingham
🪧 Theme: Solidarity with teachers on hunger strike against the KRG over unpaid salaries
🎤 Organiser/Group: Kurdish community in support of education sector workers

On this day, I joined a protest in support of Kurdish teachers who have gone on a hunger strike after months of unpaid salaries by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). These teachers play a vital role in shaping future generations, yet they are ignored and disrespected by the very government they serve. We gathered in Birmingham to show our support and demand justice and fair treatment. I stood among fellow activists to call out the systemic negligence and corruption that have left educators in poverty. We will continue to speak out until their voices are heard and their rights restored.

📅 Date: 22 July 2024
📍 Location: Birmingham, outside the Library of Birmingham
🪧 Theme: Commemoration of the martyrdom of Sorani Mama Hama and condemnation of Turkish attacks on Kurdistan
🎤 Organiser/Group: Dakok Organisation for Human Rights and Freedom

On this day, I participated in a peaceful gathering to honour Sorani Mama Hama, a Kurdish journalist brutally assassinated for exposing corruption. We also condemned the ongoing Turkish military operations inside Kurdistan that have killed and displaced civilians. As part of the Dakok Organization for Human Rights and Freedom, I stood with fellow activists to call for accountability, justice, and the protection of Kurdish voices. The authorities who failed to protect him and allowed this to happen must be held responsible. I joined not just to mourn, but to demand change and defend the truth Sorani died for.

📅 Date: 30 June 2024
📍 Location: Birmingham, outside the Library of Birmingham
🪧 Theme: Protest against the imprisonment of Kurdish journalists and activists by the PKK
🎤 Organiser/Group: Dakok Organisation for Human Rights and Freedom

I joined this demonstration to demand the release of Sherwan Sherwani, Sulaiman Ahmad, and Qareman Shukri — journalists and activists imprisoned by Kurdish authorities under false charges. Their only crime was speaking the truth and demanding justice. These arrests show that the authorities, including those aligned with the PKK, have no respect for freedom of expression or basic human rights. Along with the Dakok Organisation, I stood in Birmingham to condemn this oppression and to make sure the voices of those imprisoned do not disappear in silence. Our message was clear: free them now.

📅 Date: 17 February 2024
📍 Location: Birmingham City Centre (Chamberlain Square)
🪧 Theme: Commemoration of the 17 February Massacre and condemnation of political violence
🎤 Organiser/Group: Advocacy-Birmingham

On this day, we remembered the 17 February massacre, a day when peaceful Kurdish youth were gunned down during demonstrations in Sulaymaniyah. I joined fellow activists in Birmingham to commemorate the victims and condemn the regime that shed their blood. Thirteen years later, their killers remain free, and no real reforms have taken place. We gathered in unity, holding our faces high and vowing never to forget. This protest was not only a memorial — it was a continued call for accountability and radical change in our homeland.

📅 Date: 15 June 2023
📍 Location: Birmingham City Library Square
🪧 Theme: Protest against the killing and torture of journalists and activists by PUK and PDK
🎤 Organiser/Group: Independent Kurdish diaspora in the UK

I attended this demonstration to protest the torture, killing, and imprisonment of Kurdish journalists and activists by the ruling parties in Kurdistan (PUK and PDK). We gathered in Birmingham to demand justice for those silenced, including Sherwan Sherwani and other Badinan detainees. I carried posters and joined chants calling for truth, freedom, and an end to political violence. This protest was important to me because it represented our fight against dictatorship disguised as democracy. Even though I feared being photographed and targeted online, I stood proudly to speak for the silenced.

📅 Date: 5 May 2023
📍 Location: Birmingham City Centre (outside ICC)
🪧 Theme: Commemoration of the 13th anniversary of journalist Sardasht Osman’s assassination
🎤 Organiser/Group: Kurdish activists in the UK

I joined this demonstration to honour the memory of Sardasht Osman, a Kurdish journalist who was kidnapped and murdered in 2010 after exposing corruption among Kurdish leaders. We gathered in Birmingham to mark the 13th anniversary of his assassination and call for justice. Sardasht’s killing symbolises how dangerous it is to speak the truth in Kurdistan, and no one has ever been held accountable. I stood with others holding his picture, shouting for freedom and the fall of the corrupt regime that silences voices like his. For me, this wasn’t just a protest — it was a vow to never forget what he died for.

📅 Date: 17 February 2023 (Posted 18 Feb)
📍 Location: Birmingham, outside the Library of Birmingham
🪧 Theme: Demanding justice for the victims of the 17 February 2011 massacre in Kurdistan
🎤 Organiser/Group: Kurdish diaspora activists marking the 12th anniversary of the Sulaymaniyah shootings

On this day, I stood alongside others to demand justice for those killed on 17 February 2011 during peaceful protests in Sulaymaniyah. Young people were demanding basic rights and dignity, but they were met with bullets. Many were injured, some paralysed, and no one has ever been held accountable. We protested in Birmingham to remind the world that the blood of these martyrs has not been forgotten. I carried posters with the faces of the victims, shouting for justice and accountability. It was emotional and powerful — a reminder of why I can never stay silent against injustice in Kurdistan.

📅 Date: 6 November 2022
📍 Location: Birmingham (outside Markets Customer Centre)
🪧 Theme: Protest against the illegal extension of the Kurdistan Parliament by PUK and KDP
🎤 Organiser/Group: Independent Kurdish activists in the UK

I took part in this demonstration to speak out against the illegal extension of the Kurdistan Parliament by the ruling PUK and KDP parties. Their decision ignored the people’s will and violated democratic norms, showing they only care about holding power, not serving citizens. We protested in Birmingham to raise awareness among the Kurdish community abroad and show solidarity with our people back home. I helped carry posters demanding accountability, reforms, and an end to corrupt rule. As a civil activist, I will always oppose political manipulation disguised as leadership.