Report # 14 "Day 60 of Suleimaniya Iraq Demonstrations Ends in Bloodshed" report from Duluth CW in Iraq - Michele Naar-Obed
Frank Cordaro
a Nonviolent Uprising" from Duluth CW in Iraq - Michele Naar-Obed
https://groups.google.com/group/National-CW-E-mail-List/browse_thread/thread/e08fef1d3b29d8d4/b6db5e9e76fa973d?hl=en&lnk=gst&q=obed#b6db5e9e76fa973d
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Michele Naar-Obed <obedsi...@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, Apr 17, 2011
Day 60 of Suleimaniya Iraq Demonstrations Ends in Bloodshed
By: Michele Naar-Obed
Today marked day 60 of demonstrations in Suleimaniya Iraq to end
tribal party rule and corruption in the Kurdistan Regional Government,
and the day ended in bloodshed. The demonstration proceeded in its
normal manner throughout the early afternoon. The crowd began to
gather around 2PM. Speakers took their place at the stage. At 3PM, the
Suleimaniya University students began their march from the University
to Azadi (Freedom) Square. They were stopped by a large group of
soldiers, some armed with guns, others with riot gear. A group of
young men left the square to escort the students in. The students
eventually made their way past the soldiers and marched into the
square waving their Kurdish flags and chanting "Zanko (university)".
They were greeted with cheers from the crowd already assembled in the
square.
CPTers left the square shortly after the students arrived and passed
by large numbers of the armed soldiers gathered along the street. The
group of young escorters were still gathered in a park close to the
entrance of the bazaar which leads into the square. The atmosphere was
tense but quiet.
After an hour, the team received a phone call that there was shooting
and tear gas explosions inside the square. The husband of one of the
team's partners was in the hospital after he was caught in a cloud of
tear gas. The team continued to receive phone calls from organizers
who were still at the square who were reporting that many of the
demonstrators were still in the square and were surrounded by armed
soldiers. The demonstrators at this point were unable to leave.
The team contacted the US Consulate to report the situation. The
position of the US is that the people have a right to hold nonviolent
demonstrations without fear of attack by the Kurdistan government. The
Consulate has intervened a number of times in the past when armed
soldiers threatened unarmed demonstrators.
After CPT reported the current situation, the Consulate representative
said they were hearing conflicting stories. The team decided to return
to the square to see the situation first hand.
Upon arrival, the team saw at least one thousand armed soldiers
comletely surrounding the square. About 50 to 100 demonstrators were
still at the stage. The team tried to make their way towards the
square but were blocked by a line of soldiers, however the Holy Spirit
has a way of opening up such blocks and the team began to make their
way towards the stage.
At the same time, many soldiers with clubs dashed towards the stage
and began "cracking heads". Shots were fired in the distance and
ambulances were everywhere. Civilians who were trying to go home from
the bazaar were caught in the mayhem. A few of the soldiers came at
the CPTers with clubs and the team was chased back.
The team found a fairly safe place on the outside of the ring of
soldiers and watched as people were clubbed, loaded into ambulances,
arrested and chased further back. Water cannons appeared along with
more soldiers with tear gas and guns. The team made eye contact with
the soldiers and flashed the sign of peace. Some soldiers looked
confused, others nodded their heads and gave signs that they would not
shoot. The team talked briefly with one soldier who spoke fluent
English and told the team that they were called to the square because
some of the young male escorters were throwing rocks out by the gate
of the bazaar. The team asked why they were in the square where no
rocks were being thrown and no violence was occurring. The soldier was
called off to deal with another squirmish before he could answer.
The team called the US Consulate giving continuous first hand reports.
The Consulate representative called all high level KRG authorities.
The number of injuries for the day is over 50.
Michele Naar-Obed, Suleimaniya, Kurdistan Iraq.
obedsi...@yahoo.com
Michele's website while in Iraq:
www.duluthcpt.net
CPT web page
www.cpt.org
Contact person for updates:
Greg Boertje-Obed
Olive Branch CW House
1614 Jefferson, Duluth MN 55812
Ph:(218) 728-0629
E-mail: obedsi...@yahoo.com
Web page: duluthcatholicworker.org