Martial law and 25 deaths in the third day of widespread protests in Iraq
Despite curfews in Iraq and a heavy presence of riot police in major areas of various cities, thousands of people took to the streets in Iraqi cities for the third day. At least 25 Iraqis have been killed and around 1,500 injured so far.
Thousands of people protested again in Iraqi cities, including the capital Baghdad, on Thursday, October 3. The demonstrations continued despite curfews and a heavy police presence.
According to media reports, police have fired on demonstrators. The German news agency reported that at least 25 people have been killed in the past three days, including one member of the security forces.
Multiple explosions are said to have been heard in Baghdad's Green Zone. The German news agency, citing Ali al-Bayati, a member of the Iraqi Human Rights Commission, said that 1,484 people have been injured so far during the Iraqi protests. Most of the protesters are young.
The protests come a year after Iraqi Prime Minister Adel al-Mahdi came to power and represent a new challenge for the country, which has endured a long campaign against the Islamic State (ISIS).
The latest news from Baghdad suggests that the Iraqi capital is relatively calm. Military forces are deployed widely throughout the city. A police source told the German news agency that the main road to Salahuddin province in northern Baghdad has been blocked by security forces and officers are preventing trucks and cars from reaching the capital.
There have also been reports of small protest rallies in the city of Kufa, 155 kilometers south of Baghdad.
Social media filter
A curfew was imposed in Baghdad from 5:00 AM on Thursday. Security forces attempted to block the roads leading to Baghdad's Tahrir Square. The protests began two days ago through information on social media. Now news agencies have reported that these networks have been filtered in Iraq. These regulations have been in place since yesterday, Wednesday, October 2, in cities such as Nasiriyah, Amara, and Hilla.
Thousands of protesters marched towards central Baghdad, carrying flags of various kinds, including those of Iraq and some religious groups, as they tried to enter Baghdad's protected or Green Zone, AFP reported.
The government's Anti-Corruption Commission is said to have ordered the dismissal of 1,000 civil servants in an attempt to quell the protests.
"We are not the enemy of the government," 27-year-old Sattar al-Obeidi, a protester in Baghdad, told a German news agency. His main problem is providing for his family and two children, and he complains about not having enough income and a stable job. "It is unacceptable for an oil-producing country like Iraq not to be able to solve its own problems," he said.
The protesters are mainly protesting against widespread corruption in government agencies, unemployment, shortages of drinking water, various services, power outages, and poor living conditions. It is said that the majority of the demonstrators are Shia.
The spread of protests in Iraq has caused great concern in neighboring countries.
The dismissal of General Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, the commander of Iraq’s counter-terrorism forces, from his position was also one of the factors that brought people to the streets. This high-ranking general is said to be not affiliated with any faction and is against the influence of Iran and the Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq. Many of the protesters’ placards read “We are all Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi.” The hashtag of the same slogan has also attracted widespread attention among Iraqi users on social media.
A government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the main goal is to replace General Abdul Wahab al-Saadi with someone close to Iran so that the counter-terrorism forces do not hinder the activities of the Popular Mobilization Forces.
Source: DW
