Kurdistan Region: 113 Peaceful Civil Activities Recorded in January, 86% in Support of Rojava

Peregraf — The Coalition 19 Network, overseen by the Metro Center, reported monitoring 113 peaceful civil activities across the Kurdistan Region in January 2026. The vast majority of these events focused on supporting Rojava (Kurdish-majority areas in Syria) and protesting reported "attacks by the Syrian army" that caused civilian harm.

According to the monitoring report, 86% of the activities expressed solidarity with Rojava. Sulaymaniyah recorded the highest number of events, hosting 47 activities (42%), followed by Erbil with 24 (21%), the Raperin Administration with 15 (13%), Duhok with 9 (8%), the Garmian Administration with 8 (7%), Halabja with 6 (5%), and the Soran Administration with 4 (4%).

Forms of Protest
Coalition 19 documented various forms of peaceful action:
* 77 rallies and gatherings
* 17 marches
* 16 press conferences
* 2 road closures
* 1 strike

Protest Demands
The report highlights a strong focus on regional solidarity:
* Support for Rojava: 98 protests (86%)
* Public services: 2 protests (2%)
* Salaries: 1 protest (1%)
* Rights of people with special needs: 1 protest (1%)
* Student rights: 1 protest (1%)
* Rule of law: 1 protest (1%)
* Animal rights: 1 protest (1%)
* Miscellaneous demands: 8 protests (7%)

Coalition 19 noted that the demonstrations, which they claim involved "hundreds of thousands of participants," were "overwhelmingly peaceful." The Kurdistan flag was the most prominent symbol displayed, while political party flags were reportedly minimal. The report stated that security forces "effectively fulfilled their role" in protecting demonstrators.

Observers recorded "no incidents of violence," zero assaults against women or girls, and "negligible" hate speech; where hate speech was present, the report noted it was unrelated to the core message of the protests. The report also highlighted high participation among women and youth, alongside strong engagement with environmental protection themes.

The Coalition 19 Network was formed by civil society organizations and human rights defenders under the supervision of the Metro Center. It advocates for the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with a particular focus on Article 19, which guarantees freedom of expression.