Blood and Oil: Kurdistan Protests Lead to Death and Destruction Over No Pay
In Iraqi Kurdistan, protests of several thousand people ended in violence and attacks on governmental buildings. In the last 24 hours, there have been 12 casualties and dozens of wounded in various parts of the region.
The demonstrators are setting fire to headquarters of political parties, besetting police stations and power plants. The reason for the protests was the delay of salaries to civil servants. The people are demanding an end to corruption, to establish a dialogue with Baghdad.
On September 25, an independence referendum was held in Iraqi Kurdistan, an autonomous region of Iraq. According to the local committees, almost 93% of voters were in favor of independence. The official authorities in Baghdad didn't recognize the results of the vote. Moreover, it cut the region's budget.
The drop in oil prices, the costs of combating ISIS caused a big economic crisis in the last years.