We Are Not Your Bargaining Chip

Kurdfile Editorial Team

LONDON – Wednesday, June 4, 2025

We Are Not Your Bargaining Chip Kurdish Activists Protest Outside Iraqi Embassy in London

Dozens of Kurdish activists staged a protest on Wednesday outside the Iraqi Embassy in London, condemning both the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) for withholding public sector salaries and deepening the humanitarian crisis in the Kurdistan Region.

The demonstration, organized by the UK-based Dakok Organization, called attention to the months-long salary delays impacting thousands of Kurdish teachers, doctors, and civil servants. Protesters held signs reading “Stop starving the Kurdish people” and “Salaries are not a weapon.”

One of the protesters, Mohammad M Abdulmajjed, gave a statement:

“These disputes come down to two things: corruption in the Kurdistan Region, where officials prioritize private business over public service, and a racist mentality in Baghdad that punishes the Kurdish people.

Later he told Kurdfile that he has lived through both. he is now working to lobby the UK government for real democratic change.

The protest concluded with a letter delivered to embassy officials, urging both Baghdad and the KRG to resolve the salary crisis and respect the rights of the Kurdish people.