PHOTOS: People rally in Kurdistan Region, call for 'Yes' vote ahead of Sep. 25 referendum

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) - People continue to rally in different cities of the Kurdistan Region in support of the upcoming independence referendum, scheduled for September 25.

On Friday, thousands of people gathered in the busy market street of Iskan in Erbil, expressing support to the soon-to-be-held vote. The event started in the evening and went on for hours as singers performed in support of independence.

Among a sea of Kurdistan national flags were also some Assyrian flags being waved in the crowd, as many Christians joined the demonstration.

Rallies have also drawn out large crowds in the towns of Qushtapa and Shaqlawa, located in the south and northeast of the Kurdistan Region's capital.

The Independent High Election and Referendum Commission (IHERC) announced the launch of the official campaign promoting independence on Tuesday, and it would continue until Sep. 22.

Senior Kurdish officials have insisted on holding the vote despite opposition from Baghdad, neighboring countries, and the US.

"The people of the Kurdistan Region have the right to decide on its future, democratically and peacefully," the President of the Kurdistan Region has previously said. 

According to the IHERC, the referendum will also include Kirkuk Province and other disputed territories, and in total, over five million people are eligible to vote.

Campaigns are expected to drum up support in many other places, including some European nations as they are home to a large number of Diaspora Kurds.

Editing by G.H. Renaud