Thousands of Kurds in London, Beirut rally for Kurdistan referendum

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Diaspora Kurds in the United Kingdom and Lebanon on Sunday rallied in support of the Kurdistan Region’s independence referendum scheduled for Sep. 25.

Kurdish communities in London and Beirut organized rallies where thousands of diaspora Kurds gathered to expresses their support for the independence vote in the Region.

Hundreds of Kurds gathered near UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s office raising Kurdistan flags and chanting independence slogans.

Khasrow Ajgayi, one of the organizers of the independence rally, told Kurdistan 24 over 2,000 people had gathered at Sunday’s event “to convey a message of support for our people in the Kurdistan Region.”

At the end of the pro-independence celebrations, the organizers submitted a letter to Prime Minister May, asking the UK government to support the process of Kurdistan’s independence.

“We have written an official letter on behalf of the Kurdistani diaspora and submitted it to the UK PM, urging the government to respect and support the Kurdish nation’s right to self-determination,” Ajgayi said.

Meanwhile, for the first time in an Arab country, thousands of Kurds gathered in the Lebanese capital of Beirut to express their support for the independence vote.

Both rallies consisted of Kurds from different parts of Greater Kurdistan, which includes the Kurdish regions in Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria.

Kurds in #Lebanon gathered to celebrate historic #KurdistanReferendum to be held on Sep. 25. #TwitterKurds pic.twitter.com/vhnO3W0adZ

— Kurdistan24 English (@K24English) September 17, 2017

"No room for alternatives. Time has come for independence," Kurdish man tells @K24English during rally in #London for #KurdistanReferendum. pic.twitter.com/MyAWfXJQZ9

— Kurdistan24 English (@K24English) September 17, 2017

The Kurdish leadership has rejected calls to delay the referendum despite increasing pressure from neighboring countries, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Senior Kurdish officials, including the President of the Kurdistan Region Masoud Barzani, have emphasized the right of the people of Kurdistan to decide on their future democratically and peacefully.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany