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News > Iraq

At Least 10 Iraqis Killed on Second Protest Day in a Row

  • Four Deaths were caused by tear gas grenades launched by the police in Tahir Square

    Four Deaths were caused by tear gas grenades launched by the police in Tahir Square | Photo: REUTERS

Published 26 October 2019
Opinion

At least 52 people were killed this Friday as protesters marched against political elites who have failed to improve the country’s living conditions.

At least 10 more Iraqis were killed and dozens injured on Saturday as a result of ongoing clashes between protesters and security forces during protests against the government of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi.

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According to police and hospital sources the violence began this Friday where at least 52 people were killed across the country as protesters expressed frustration at political elites who have failed to improve the country’s living conditions after years of conflict and economic hardship. According to EFE, the number killed during the past 48 hours is at 63.

Sources also stated that four of the reported deaths were caused by tear gas grenades launched by security forces in Baghdad to dissipate the Tahir Square demonstration. In addition, four other demonstrators were killed and 17 people injured in protests in the southern city of Nasiriya, where thousands of demonstrators left despite the strong presence of security forces.

Protesters are demanding basic services and more employment, in addition to condemning corruption, and a month of police repression.

According to the police, the dead protesters belonged to a group that broke away from the mass protests in central Nasiriya and attacked the house of a local security officer where law enforcement opened fire after demonstrators set the building on fire.

Two more people were killed during protests in Hilla, adding to the more than 150 deaths and 6,000 wounded in clashes between demonstrators and security forces since early October.

On the other hand, the parliamentary bloc linked to Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr announced on Saturday that it would join the opposition.

With streets full of bloody demonstrators being transported to hospitals, many have expressed their indignation at a political establishment so willing to resort to violence.

The riots have broken almost two years of relative stability in Iraq, which from 2003 to 2017 suffered foreign occupation, a civil war and the threat of the Islamic State (IS).

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Iraq Protest
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