Iranian Kurds march in support of vote

Thousand defied a show of force by Tehran, which flew fighter jets over their areas

Thousands of Iranian Kurds marched in the streets to show their support for an independence referendum staged by Kurdish authorities in neighbouring Iraq, defying a show of power by Tehran, which flew fighter jets over their areas.

Iranian officials and media have denounced Monday’s vote as a threat to regional stability, adding to pressure from Baghdad, threats from Iran and Turkey, and international warnings that it may ignite yet more conflict in the Middle East.

Undaunted by years of official suppression of dissent, residents in a number of mainly Kurdish cities in northwestern Iran danced in circles as night fell on Monday, chanting slogans praising Kurdish nationalist movements.

Videos posted on social media showed drivers beeping their car horns in celebration and people clapping in the cities of Marivan and Baneh. Many wore masks so as not to be identified by security forces.

About 30 million ethnic Kurds are scattered across the region but have no country of their own. With 8 to 10 million living in Iran, Tehran fears pressure for secession will grow among a minority that has a long history of struggle for its political rights.

A strong police presence tried to control the celebrating crowd. There were reports of clashes between the demonstrators and security forces in the cities of Mahabad and Sanandaj.

In Sanandaj the crowd waved the flag of Kurdistan, a banned symbol for the Kurds’ desire for independence.

“This referendum will encourage Iranian Kurds to be more determined to seek their rights,” said Zaribar, a Marivan resident and member of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, a secular armed group that launches periodic attacks in Iran.

“This referendum was not a threat to Iraq’s neighbours, but it’s a starting point to resolve the issues of Kurds, especially in Iran,” added Zaribar, who declined to give his full name.