Erbil protestors carrying the Kurdistan flag demonstrate in support of Kurds in Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, Jan. 9, 2026. (Photo: 964media)
Additional protests planned
Erbil protesters rally for Aleppo’s Kurdish neighborhoods as clashes resume
ERBIL — Thousands of people gathered Friday in Erbil to protest attacks on the Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in Aleppo, Syria, as fighting between Syrian government forces and Kurdish-led forces intensified again after a ceasefire collapsed.
Demonstrators assembled on 60 Meter Street carrying banners that read, “Rojava is not alone” and “Long live Rojava’s resistance.” Rojava refers to Western Kurdistan, the Kurdish-majority areas of Syria.
One protester said the neighborhoods were being targeted “only because they are Kurdish.”
Organizers said further solidarity marches are planned for today in Sulaymaniyah, Kalar and other towns. Journalist Kamal Raouf said several civil society organizations will hold a gathering “in support of Rojava” at 1:30 p.m. Saturday on Salem Street in Sulaymaniyah, with a similar event planned in Kalar and the Rizgari district in the Garmiyan administration.