“No to the Killing of Women”: Regay Azadi Protest in Manchester
14 July 2025 – Manchester, UK
KURDFILE MEDIA
A peaceful protest organized by the Regay Azadi (Path of Freedom) Organization took place in front of the Iraqi Consulate in Manchester on Wednesday, 14 July 2025, under the powerful slogan “No to the Killing of Women.” The demonstration was intended to amplify the voices of women across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region who suffer under patriarchal violence and systematic rights violations. However, given the intensifying political and economic crises in Kurdistan, the event quickly became a broader platform for public outrage.
“I am proud that this important demonstration happened under my supervision,” one of the main organizers said. “We are here to carry the voice of every silenced woman in our homeland, so that one day they will speak freely about their rights without fear.”
Yet the protest went beyond its original scope. Several members addressed recent tragic events in the Balakayati region, where a peaceful protest for electricity and basic services in Qasre and Warte was met with deadly force. Gunfire from armed forces allegedly affiliated with the Barzani family left one man dead and three others injured.
“The martyred citizen had fought ISIS to protect Kurdistan,” said one speaker, visibly emotional. “But instead of being honored, he was killed by the same forces who now suppress their own people. This is not governance. it’s betrayal.”
The protest highlighted the unbearable conditions across Kurdistan: 75 days without salaries, widespread power outages, and a crumbling infrastructure. Speakers criticized both the Kurdistan Regional Government and Baghdad for their role in deepening the crisis, noting how armed suppression has become a default response to civilian demands.
Shvan Hassan, an activist with Regay Azadi, emphasized the original message: “Instead of blood being shed for dignity, it is being spilled to silence women and citizens. Instead of protecting women’s rights, this system justifies killing them under the false banner of ‘honour.’”
According to the protesters, the crisis in Kurdistan is not limited to economic mismanagement but is rooted in a broader structure of authoritarianism, inequality, and impunity impacting women, families, and society at large.
The demonstration concluded with a call for international attention and intervention. “This is no longer an internal issue,” one organizer said. “We demand justice for women and accountability for those who shoot citizens in the streets.”
Regay Azadi stated that the struggle will continue, both on behalf of women and for the broader rights of the Kurdish people.