In Berlin, dozens of people gathered for a spontaneous solidarity rally for Shengal at Alexanderplatz on Thursday. The occasion was the Iraqi government's order to withdraw the autonomous security forces in the Yazidi settlement area from the city. The Shengal Democratic Autonomous Council (Meclîsa Xweseriya Demokratîk a Şengalê, MXDŞ) had convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday and called for a protest. The Yazidis in Shengal refuse to give up their structures of self-governance and self-defense, which were established after the ISIS genocide in 2014.

A good fifty people took part in the protest at Alexanderplatz. With reference to the agreement between the Kurdistan regional government in Hewlêr (Erbil) and the Iraqi central government in Baghdad, which was concluded under pressure from the United States and Turkey, banners read statements such as "The KDP is the extended arm of Erdoğan" and "The agreement between Erbil and Baghdad is another betrayal of the Yazidis”. The agreement on the future of Shengal had been concluded last October over the Yazidi population under UN supervision. Since then, protests against it have been taking place in Shengal as well as in the Yazidi diaspora.

Yazidi delegation met with Iraqi military

In Shengal itself, there was also a demonstration on Thursday against the dissolution of the autonomous security forces. Afterwards, a meeting took place between a Yazidi delegation and Iraqi military officials. The delegation again demanded that the will of the people of Shengal be taken into account. The demand for local self-government was also delivered in writing. Iraqi military officials assured the delegation that the letter would be transmitted to Baghdad.