MOSUL, Iraq — Many in this capital of Ninevah province are supporting the anti-government protests taking place in Iraq, but in their own way.

For example, on Dec. 4, the usually bustling University of Mosul was fairly empty. Many students were not attending classes, adhering to the protesters' slogan and hashtag “No homeland, no work.” Students across the country have been skipping classes in opposition to a state they view as corrupt, authoritarian and controlled by neighboring Iran. 

While many students in Mosul have not been going to class like their counterparts in Baghdad and in the south, those in Mosul are not protesting as fiercely as young people are in those other areas. One reason why is that many activists in Mosul are afraid to join Iraqis in the capital and elsewhere in the streets.

“Our hearts are with the protesters in Baghdad, but we can’t join them right now,” Aliya Muzaham, a volunteer with the Peace and Freedom Organization, told Al-Monitor. “We protested before and Daesh came.” Daesh is an Arabic abbreviation for the Sunni-led Islamic State (IS).