VIDEO: Thousands in Erbil hold enormous rally in support of Kurdistan referendum

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Kurds gathered in Erbil on Friday to hold a massive rally in support of a “Yes” vote for the Kurdistan Region’s independence referendum scheduled for Sep. 25.

Tens of thousands of people attended the rally held at the Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region.

The President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani also attended the event and delivered a speech to the thousands gathered.

Among the attendees at the demonstration were former French Foreign Minister Bernard Kochner, United Kingdom Member of Parliament Nadhim Zahawi, American politician Peter Galbraith, and several others.

The event was hosted at Erbil Sport Club's football stadium with a sea of Kurdistan flags covering the entire arena as people shouted “Yes” for the independence of Kurdistan.

The rally marked the end of campaigning ahead of the historic independence referendum on Monday.

“The people of the Kurdistan Region have been waiting 100 years for independence,” President Barzani had previously said. “How long should they continue to wait?”

He also added the Kurds have “a right to decide on their future peacefully and democratically.”

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany