Demonstrators in Khaniqin for Kurdish flag, protestor burns himself – official

DIALA / IraqiNews.com: Thousands of demonstrators paraded Khanaqin city protesting dismounting the Kurdish flag from Iraqi governmental institutions. Member of the Provincial Council, Dilair Hassan, a leading member in the Kurdistan bloc, told IraqiNews.com that “about 20,000 persons, from different parts of Iraq, participated to denounce Baghdad government decision to dismount the Kurdish flag. He added that one protestor set fire in himself in denunciation of the Baghdad order, but did not die. Hassan said that a 40-meter long flag was mounted in the main road by the demonstrators who took previous permission to conduct it. Khanaqin city is one of the disputed areas between the federal and Kurdish governments, which contains a mixture of Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen, with tense political and security situation. Khanaqin lies 155 km northeast of Baaquba, the center of Diala province. RM (TI)/SR Number of Reads:86