Shafaq News/ The Head of al-Anbar Teachers' Syndicate, Abdallah abed Shehab, expressed discontent with law enforcement forces dispersing "Free Lecturers" demonstrating to demand regularisation, deeming the deeds as "unconstitutional".
Shehab said in a statement to Shafaq News Agency that a group of Free Lecturers organized a demonstration near the Directorate of Education in al-Anbar governorate. "However, security forces dispersed them and prevented them from gathering. This is muzzling. It is a flagrant violation to the Iraqi constitution that guarantees the right to demonstrate."
"Free Lecturers in the governorate are marginalized and devoid of their rights...however, they are endorsed by the public, the Syndicate, and NGOs."
Shehab called for justice to free lecturers, "they have given too much for free. It is time to accord them their rights."
"I contacted a group of demonstrators. They asked for my help to obtain the legal documents to gather again. I asked them to wait, especially after the efforts we made in cooperation with the teachers' Syndicates in other governorates, lawmakers, and other officials to resolve this issue."
"Demonstrating without a demonstration permit might subject them to infringement by security forces...we do not want for the scenario of the Central and Southern governorates to take place in al-Anbar."
The head of al-Anbar's Education Directorate, Nafi' Hussein, denied dispersing the demonstration by the security forces, "I hosted the demonstrators and made a press conference calling the authorities to resolve the issue of free lecturers as soon as possible."
Demonstrators took the streets of major Iraqi cities to demand contracts after years of service as free lecturers.
