Iraq PM says protests costing country ‘billions of dollars’
5 years, 2 months ago

Iraq PM says protests costing country ‘billions of dollars’

Al Jazeera  

Tens of thousands have taken to the streets across Iraq, calling for an overhaul of the political system. Embattled Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has called on protesters to halt sit-ins and help restore a sense of normalcy across the country amid ongoing mass demonstrations demanding economic and political reform. The protests, which began in early October and “shook the political system”, have achieved their purpose and must stop affecting the country’s trade and economic activities, Abdul Mahdi said in a statement late on Sunday. Earlier on Sunday, protesters blocked roads around their main protest site in Baghdad with burning tyres and barbed wire, unfurling a banner at one roadblock reading: “Roads closed by order of the people.” South of Basra, they blocked the highway leading to the Umm Qasr port, which receives the bulk of Iraq’s imports of grain, vegetable oils and sugar. Rights group Amnesty International last week criticised security forces for using “previously unseen types of tear gas grenade to kill rather than disperse protesters”, which it said led to at least five deaths of protesters.

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History of this topic

Rare anti-government protest turns deadly in southern Syria
2 years, 1 month ago

Rare anti-government protest turns deadly in southern Syria

Al Jazeera  

Demonstrators are angry with the Assad government over rising prices, power cuts, food and fuel shortages. At least two people have been killed, including a policeman, when protesters in the southern Syrian city of Sweida stormed a provincial government building in a rare anti-government protest over rising prices and other economic hardships. The activist media collective Suwayda 24 and the …

Thousands in Iraq demand regime change after Shia factions clash
2 years, 4 months ago

Thousands in Iraq demand regime change after Shia factions clash

Al Jazeera  

Protesters affiliated with the 2019 protest movement are demanding political change after deadly clashes between the main Shia factions. “Protesters say they took to the streets today to demand the removal of all the political elite, whom they accuse of corruption,” Al Jazeera’s Mahmoud Abdelwahed said from Baghdad. Friday’s mobilisation follows nearly 11 months of paralysis that has left the …

Photos: Fighting between rival Iraqi forces erupts in Baghdad
2 years, 4 months ago

Photos: Fighting between rival Iraqi forces erupts in Baghdad

Al Jazeera  

Fighting between rival Iraqi forces is raging for a second day, with rocket fire echoing from Baghdad’s Green Zone – where 30 people have been killed, according to medical sources. The violence began after powerful Shia religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr announced on Monday that he would resign from Iraqi politics, prompting hundreds of his angry followers to storm the government …

Iraqi cleric’s loyalists heed his call to abandon protests after clashes kill 30
2 years, 4 months ago

Iraqi cleric’s loyalists heed his call to abandon protests after clashes kill 30

LA Times  

Iraqi security forces fire tear gas at the followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr inside the government palace in Baghdad. Following two days of deadly unrest that sparked fears of instability spreading throughout Iraq and even the region, cleric Muqtada Sadr told his supporters to leave the government quarter where they had rallied. A day later, on Tuesday, Sadr’s supporters …

Protesters block roads in Iraq after third day of power cuts
2 years, 5 months ago

Protesters block roads in Iraq after third day of power cuts

Associated Press  

BAGHDAD — Demonstrators blocked roads as protests broke out in southern Iraq on Monday after power outages left many without electricity during scorching peak summer heat. In the oil-rich province of Basra, dozens of people took to the streets for a third straight day and burned tires, blocking the main road to the provincial capital, to protest the power cuts. …

Six protesters killed as Sudanese rally against military coup
3 years, 1 month ago

Six protesters killed as Sudanese rally against military coup

Al Jazeera  

Sudanese security forces fired live ammunition and tear gas to disperse protesters denouncing the military’s tightening grip on the country, killing at least six and wounding several, medics say. The violence on Saturday came as thousands of pro-democracy protesters took to the streets across Sudan yet again to rally against the military’s takeover last month. The rallies, called by the …

Iraq protesters demand accountability after killings of activists
3 years, 5 months ago

Iraq protesters demand accountability after killings of activists

Al Jazeera  

Hundreds protest in Baghdad demanding the end of impunity after the killings of dozens of pro-democracy activists. Hundreds of Iraqis have protested in central Baghdad to demand that authorities hold accountable the killers of dozens of activists associated with a long-running protest movement. “We’re here to say that we want to end impunity in Iraq,” Hussein Al-Faili, an 18-year old …

Fallujah residents in Iraq: ‘We have had our share of protests’
4 years, 11 months ago

Fallujah residents in Iraq: ‘We have had our share of protests’

Al Jazeera  

Residents in Sunni-majority city prefer having stability over any change in status quo due to past experiences. “The protests haven’t spread here because we have not forgotten what happened last time we had mass demonstrations,” said Ibrahim Abushahd, owner of a food store in Fallujah, a city some 60km from Baghdad. “We saw horrors no one has ever seen before.” …

Dozens of Iraqi protesters wounded in clashes with security forces as anti-government unrest resumes in Baghdad
4 years, 11 months ago

Dozens of Iraqi protesters wounded in clashes with security forces as anti-government unrest resumes in Baghdad

Firstpost  

Baghdad: Dozens of Iraqi protesters were wounded in Baghdad and other cities on Monday in clashes with security forces who were trying to clear blocked roads, security and medical sources said, as anti-government unrest resumed after a lull of several weeks. In Baghdad’s Tayaran Square overnight, protesters threw petrol bombs and stones at police who responded with tear gas and …

Protesters in Arab world’s newest uprisings face a long haul
5 years ago

Protesters in Arab world’s newest uprisings face a long haul

Associated Press  

BAGHDAD — Abbas Ali spends most of his free time camped out in Tahrir Square — the epicenter of Iraq’s anti-government protests — going home only at 3 a.m. to catch few hours of sleep, change his clothes and check on his family. Angry at factional, sectarian politicians and clerics he blames for stealing Iraq’s wealth, Ali embodies the young …

Gunmen open fire at anti-govt demonstrators in Baghdad's Khilani Square; 15 including two policemen killed, 60 wounded
5 years, 1 month ago

Gunmen open fire at anti-govt demonstrators in Baghdad's Khilani Square; 15 including two policemen killed, 60 wounded

Firstpost  

The attack came a day after a string of suspicious stabbing incidents targeting demonstrators left at least 13 wounded in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square Baghdad: Gunmen in cars opened fire on Friday in Baghdad’s Khilani Square leaving at least 15 people dead and 60 wounded, Iraqi security and medical officials said. The attack came a day after a string of suspicious …

40 protesters killed by security forces in Iraq after Iranian consulate burned down
5 years, 1 month ago

40 protesters killed by security forces in Iraq after Iranian consulate burned down

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The country has seen an intensification in bloodshed in …

Iraqi Prime Minister Abdul Mahdi orders investigation as deadly protests rage on
5 years, 1 month ago

Iraqi Prime Minister Abdul Mahdi orders investigation as deadly protests rage on

CNN  

CNN — Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi has ordered an investigation into violence that has led to the deaths of at least 31 people this week in ongoing anti-government protests. Mousavi called on the Iraqi government to deal with the “perpetrators of the attack responsibly, firmly and effectively,” according to an Iranian foreign affairs ministry statement released on Thursday. …

Protests in Iraq reveal a long-simmering anger at Iran
5 years, 2 months ago

Protests in Iraq reveal a long-simmering anger at Iran

Associated Press  

BAGHDAD — The shoes are coming off again in Iraq. But they have also exposed long-simmering resentment at Iran’s influence in the country, with protesters targeting Shiite political parties and militias with close ties to Tehran. “After these demonstrations, Iran may lose Iraq by losing the Shiite street.” In Tahrir Square, protesters have brandished crossed-out pictures of Khamenei and Gen. …

Iraq forces fire live rounds at protesters in Baghdad
5 years, 2 months ago

Iraq forces fire live rounds at protesters in Baghdad

Al Jazeera  

Deadly unrest in Baghdad as security forces open fire on anti-government protesters trying to enter city’s Green Zone. Security forces in Iraq have opened fire on protesters in Baghdad, killing and wounding several people, according to witnesses, the latest bout of bloodshed amid ongoing protests demanding an overhaul of the country’s political system. The injured include security forces as well …

Iraq’s Shiite clerics condemn attacks on protesters
5 years, 2 months ago

Iraq’s Shiite clerics condemn attacks on protesters

Associated Press  

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Shiite religious establishment on Friday condemned attacks on peaceful protesters after a month of massive anti-government demonstrations in which security forces have killed at least 250 people. Thousands of protesters continued to clash with security forces on two bridges leading from Baghdad’s Tahrir Square to the heavily fortified Green Zone where the government is headquartered. Ahmed al-Safi, …

Iraq on edge after al-Sadr calls for removal of prime minister amid protests
5 years, 2 months ago

Iraq on edge after al-Sadr calls for removal of prime minister amid protests

CNN  

CNN — One of Iraq’s leading Shiite clerics and powerful politicians has called on other parties to back him in removing Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi after weeks of protests. Muqtada al-Sadr, who leads the largest political block in parliament, invited Iraq’s second largest party on Tuesday to cooperate with him in “immediately” holding a vote of no confidence in …

Anti-government protests rage in Iraq, 7 killed
5 years, 2 months ago

Anti-government protests rage in Iraq, 7 killed

India TV News  

At least seven more Iraqi protesters were killed Saturday in clashes with security forces in Baghdad and the southern town of Nasiriyah, as thousands took part in nationwide anti-government protests, officials said. Security forces fired tear gas as protesters tried to remove blast walls from the main bridge leading to the government district. Image Source : AP Anti-government protests rage …

Several killed in Iraq as anti-government protests continue
5 years, 2 months ago

Several killed in Iraq as anti-government protests continue

Al Jazeera  

At least six killed in Baghdad and Nasiriya, officials say, as protests continue across the country for a second day. At least six protesters have been killed in clashes with security forces in Iraq, officials said, pushing the overall death toll in this month’s anti-government protests to more than 190. Thousands took part in nationwide protests on Saturday, and security …

Dozens killed as fierce anti-government protests sweep Iraq
5 years, 2 months ago

Dozens killed as fierce anti-government protests sweep Iraq

Al Jazeera  

Thousands also wounded by security forces as renewed rallies erupt in Baghdad and several southern cities. Renewed anti-government demonstrations in Iraq have gripped the capital, Baghdad, and swept through several other cities in the country’s south, leaving at least 30 people dead, according to the country’s human rights commission and a monitor. Al Jazeera’s Natasha Ghoneim, reporting from Baghdad, described …

More than 20 killed as anti-government protests grip Iraq
5 years, 2 months ago

More than 20 killed as anti-government protests grip Iraq

Al Jazeera  

Iraqi forces fire tear gas and rubber bullets, killing at least 21 as rallies erupt in Baghdad and southern cities. Iraq’s semi-official Human Rights Commission also said 21 people had been killed during the demonstrations, according to AFP news agency. “We want the government to step down and for the political system to be completely revamped,” a 20-something year-old protester …

Excessive force to blame for Iraq protest toll: Gov’t report
5 years, 2 months ago

Excessive force to blame for Iraq protest toll: Gov’t report

Al Jazeera  

Committee tasked with probing this month’s unrest recommends Baghdad operations commander and other officials be sacked. A total of 157 people, mostly civilians, were killed in Iraq because security forces used excessive force and live fire to quell this month’s wave of anti-government protests, a government committee tasked with investigating the violence has found. State television on Tuesday cited the …

Iraq protests: All the latest updates
5 years, 2 months ago

Iraq protests: All the latest updates

Al Jazeera  

Shia cleric Ali al-Sistani gave the Iraqi government two weeks to investigate the sniper shooting of protesters. Tuesday, October 8 Pompeo urges PM to exercise ‘maximum restraint’ over protests US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Iraq’s Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to exercise “maximum restraint” and address protesters’ grievances when the two men spoke on Tuesday, the State Department …

Iraqi protesters say they have videos of government atrocities. An internet blackout is stopping the world from seeing them
5 years, 3 months ago

Iraqi protesters say they have videos of government atrocities. An internet blackout is stopping the world from seeing them

CNN  

Baghdad, Iraq CNN — By night, Baghdad’s streets are eerily quiet, punctuated with smatterings of gunfire – be it a single shot or something more sustained and intense. Iraq’s army has admitted to the use of “excessive force” against protesters in al-Sadr district, according to a statement posted to the Iraqi state security Facebook page on Monday. “Accountability measures have …

Security forces kill at least 19 in new protests in Iraq
5 years, 3 months ago

Security forces kill at least 19 in new protests in Iraq

LA Times  

Security forces fired live ammunition and tear gas at protesters in the Iraqi capital and in a southern city on Saturday, killing at least 19 people and wounding more than three dozen as thousands of protesters took to the streets and set fire to political party offices, government and human rights commission members said. Health and security officials said four …

‘The people are being robbed’: Voices from Baghdad
5 years, 3 months ago

‘The people are being robbed’: Voices from Baghdad

Al Jazeera  

Protesters in Iraqi capital promise not to retreat over demands for jobs, better services and an end to corruption. We’ve been demanding them for years and the government has never responded.” Ahmed Haidar, Baghdad “We are not Daesh, we are peaceful protesters calling for our simple rights – why they are firing at us? I’ve got nothing but 250 liras …

Iraq protests: 46 killed in mass uprising against govt corruption, curfew imposed; top cleric blames politicians
5 years, 3 months ago

Iraq protests: 46 killed in mass uprising against govt corruption, curfew imposed; top cleric blames politicians

Firstpost  

Dozens of demonstrators were killed across Iraq on Thursday and Friday as violent protests against government corruption swelled into a mass spontaneous uprising. Baghdad: Dozens of demonstrators were killed across Iraq on Thursday and Friday as violent protests against government corruption swelled into a mass spontaneous uprising sweeping much of the country, the worst unrest since the defeat of Islamic …

Iraq’s protests: All you need to know in 500 words
5 years, 3 months ago

Iraq’s protests: All you need to know in 500 words

Al Jazeera  

Iraq is in the midst of a major crisis sparked by what appears to be a spontaneous outburst of anger over unemployment, poor services and corruption. Thousands of mostly young men have headed waves of protests, which began in Baghdad on Tuesday before spreading to cities dotted throughout Iraq’s south. 191004085506824 Iraq has the world’s fourth-largest reserves of oil, according …

Violence escalates in Iraq even after top cleric urges calm; at least 17 protesters killed
5 years, 3 months ago

Violence escalates in Iraq even after top cleric urges calm; at least 17 protesters killed

LA Times  

Security forces opened fire directly at hundreds of anti-government demonstrators Friday in central Baghdad, killing at least 17 protesters and injuring dozens, hours after Iraq’s top Shiite cleric warned both sides to end four days of violence “before it’s too late.” The latest deaths raised to 59 the number of people killed in clashes during ongoing protests and marked a …

Iraq protests: A new wave of Arab protesters say, ‘It’s the economy, stupid!’
5 years, 3 months ago

Iraq protests: A new wave of Arab protesters say, ‘It’s the economy, stupid!’

CNN  

Beirut, Lebanon CNN — Protests and clashes paralyze much of Iraq. Egyptians brave the wrath of the security forces to resurrect the battle cry of the ill-fated 2011 revolution: “The people want the downfall of the regime.” This isn’t about regional rivalries, the Arab-Israeli conflict, terrorism or even a yearning for greater freedom. STR/AFP/Getty Images Lebanon loses ground Ignore all …

Iraq Prime Minister calls protesters’ demands ‘righteous,’ as 93 killed in demonstrations
5 years, 3 months ago

Iraq Prime Minister calls protesters’ demands ‘righteous,’ as 93 killed in demonstrations

CNN  

CNN — Iraq’s Prime Minister has said the government needs to do more to combat corruption as the death toll in four days of deadly protests rose to 93. In a conciliatory speech broadcast on state television early on Friday, Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi called the demonstrators’ demands for work opportunities and comprehensive reforms “righteous,” adding that the government needs …

Iraq protests: At least eight dead and more than 300 injured
5 years, 3 months ago

Iraq protests: At least eight dead and more than 300 injured

CNN  

CNN — Curfews and internet blockages have been imposed in parts of Iraq, as officials react to mass protests against unemployment, government corruption and lack of basic services. He said two protestors died in Baghdad, four died in Nasiriya and two died in Maysan province, while 50 members of the Iraqi security forces were among the injured. Iraqi security forces …

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