- Saray Azadi
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Saray Azadi (Freedom Square) (Kurdish: سەرای ئازادی) is a square in the old town centre in the Iraqi Kurdish city of Sulaymany where public protests were held between 17 February and 18 April 2011 on a daily basis. The square has otherwise been known as Bar Darki Sara (Sara Gate Square) and more recently Maidani Azadi (Kurdish: مەیدانی ئازادی). Some Kurdish media outlets have combined the old and the new name, calling it Saray Azadi. All three names are still in usage, but Saray Azadi has been more frequently used.
Contents
Background
A demonstration was held in the square on 17 February 2011 against what demonstrators described as the totalitarian 20-year rule of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), led by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Demonstrators accused the government of rife corruption and failure to provide basic services, while they greeted the success of recent rebellions in Egypt and Tunisia. They were partly inspired by them as there were clear parallels between them, both in the nature of the gatherings and in their political demands. [1]
Since then, demonstrators have gathered on a daily basis there. From the early days of the protest, the protesters renamed the square to Maidani Azadi first and then Saray Azadi, and this was soon used by activists and the media, especially the independent and opposition outlets. This change of name was inspired by squares with similar names in countries of the region where similar demonstrations were held. Most notably Cairo's Tahrir Square (Liberation or Freedom Square), the focal assembly point of protests leading to the toppling of Husni Mubarak's rule in Egypt.
Kurdish media outlets and politicians of all hues have been observed using Saray Azadi. Presumably, the word "Sara" has been reinstated to the name because of its historical significance.
Protesters also set up a temporary council called Maidani Azadi Temporary Council. Several Facebook pages were created with this name.
Square attacked
Quoting eyewitnesses and protest organizers, Human Rights Watch said: "Early in the morning on March 6 [2011], dozens of masked men carrying firearms and clubs arrived in unmarked military vehicles and attacked a group of more than 100 peaceful protesters camping at Azadi square in Sulaimaniya." HRW added: "They said that Asayish forces (the official security agency for the Kurdistan region) in the square stood by and watched as masked men, some wearing black uniforms, clubbed protesters and set their tents on fire." [2]. The square is opposite a major regional Interior Ministry building, less than 50 metres away.
Protesters' home
The square has become home to the protests, while intellectuals and activists address the crowd from a podium. Mass Friday prayers were also been held in the square (similar to its sister square in Cairo). A Kurdish blogger estimated that on Friday 18 March between "25,000 to 30,000 people" gathered in the square, where Friday mass prayer was held too. [3]
Deployment end protests, podium demolished
Security forces attacked the square and demolished the podium on 18 April, marking the end of gatherings at the square. [4] This was followed by heavy deployment of armed forces in the city, a ban on demonstrations and arrests of scores of protesters and students in the following weeks. [5] Prominent Kurdish writer Rebin Hardi was one of many to be detained. Hardi, who spent around 12 hours in detention, was tortured by the security forces along with scores of other journalists arrested without arrest warrants. [6]
References
- ^ Al-Jazeera website: [http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/03/201137131012153528.html, 8 March 2011. Accessed 2011.03.08.
- ^ Human Rights Watch website: http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/03/07/iraqi-kurdistan-prevent-attacks-protesters, 6 March 2011. Accessed 2011.03.20.
- ^ Kurdish blogger: The Moving Silent; https://themovingsilent.wordpress.com/page/3/.
- ^ Human Rights Watch website: http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/04/21/iraq-widening-crackdown-protests, 21 April 2011. Accessed 2011.04.21.
- ^ http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/04/29/us-iraq-protests-kurdish-idUSTRE73S2MW20110429, 29 April 2011.
- ^ http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/3/233805/
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