Kurdish Diaspora Marches to Downing Street to Warn Against ISIS Resurgence After Coalition Withdrawal

London, United Kingdom — On 20 October 2026, the Regay Azadi Political Advocacy and Human Rights Organisation (Liberation for Rights and Justice, LRJ) organised a major, peaceful public march in the UK capital, proceeding from Parliament Square to 10 Downing Street.

The march was held under the banner: "We call on the UK Parliament and the Prime Minister: Do not allow the withdrawal of Coalition forces to create a security vacuum and a resurgence of ISIS in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region!" Kurdish and Iraqi diaspora members, human rights defenders, political campaigners and independent figures took part, carrying banners and placards.

During the march, participants signed a public petition backing an official memorandum that was later delivered to the Prime Minister's Office at 10 Downing Street, with copies formally transmitted to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and Members of Parliament, as well as to international bodies including OHCHR, UNHCR, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

The memorandum warns of security gaps in disputed areas such as Hawija, Makhmour, Kirkuk and Diyala following the conclusion of the Coalition's military mission, and calls on His Majesty's Government to condition all UK security cooperation on respect for human rights, including the protection of activists and journalists. It also urges continuous on-the-ground monitoring by the British Embassy in Baghdad and the Consulate General in Erbil, diplomatic pressure at the UN Security Council, and written parliamentary questions with an official response within 28 days.

Regay Azadi, an independent organisation registered in the United Kingdom (Company No. 16376945) with activities in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh, said the memorandum represents a strictly non-partisan stance aimed at safeguarding civilian lives and fundamental freedoms in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. (Source: Regay Azadi – LRJ)