University students, religious seminaries keep flame of Iraq protests burning

Thousands of Iraqi university students took to the streets Dec. 1 in solidarity with the victims of violence during the ongoing protests in the country. Since Oct. 25, few students have attended classes, remaining in Baghdad's Liberation Square and squares in other provinces.

It is the first time since 2003 that organized protests depart from Iraqi universities and contribute to keeping the numbers of protesters in the streets high. Even during the two main protests in 2011 and 2015, universities did not have an official presence or participation, even if remotely, and protesters criticized them for not getting involved.

Participation has not been limited to university students in the protesting provinces, as students from universities in Kirkuk, Ninevah, Salahuddin and Anbar joined the protests in mid-November. Civil society activists and students from Anbar told Al-Monitor that the University of Anbar took risks with its solidarity protest, after having received vague threats from security authorities not to take to the streets in support of the protest wave.

Despite the tight measures of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to forbid students from partaking in the protests, they stood their ground to maintain the momentum, and they risked their educational future. The ministry had announced that it would “take attendance records of students in lectures and departments to free the ministry and educational institutions of responsibility toward what could happen to students during the protests.”