Civil unrest in Kurdistan rises as police join protests

SULAIMANIYA - Police officers in Sulaimaniya and Erbil provinces joined a rising tide of strikes and demonstrations on Monday to protest government pay cuts being made in response to a worsening budget crisis.

Uniformed police officers held rallies and protests across major towns in the east of the Kurdistan region, including Sulaimaniya, Koya, Kalar, Kifri, Chemchemal, Halabja and Darbandikan. Some waved 250 Iraqi dinar notes (worth about $0.21) at local TV news cameras, claiming it was the last of their money.