Martial Law and 25 Killed on Third Day of Widespread Protests in Iraq

Despite the imposition of curfew measures in Iraq and the heavy presence of riot police in major areas of various cities, thousands of people took to the streets for the third day in Iraqi cities. At least 25 Iraqis have been killed so far and around 1,500 have been wounded.

On Thursday, October 3rd, Iraqi cities, including the capital Baghdad, once again witnessed protests by thousands of people. The demonstrations continued despite the imposition of curfew measures and the heavy presence of police forces.

According to media reports, police forces have opened fire on the protesters. The German news agency reported the deaths of at least 25 people over the past three days, one of whom is from the security forces.

Multiple explosions were reportedly heard from Baghdad’s Green Zone. The German news agency, citing Ali al-Bayati, a member of Iraq’s Human Rights Commission, reported that 1,484 people have been wounded during the Iraqi protest demonstrations so far. Most of the protesters are young.

These protests occurred one year after Adel Abdul Mahdi, Iraq’s Prime Minister, came to power and are considered a new challenge for this country. A country that has gone through a long campaign fighting the Islamic State (ISIS).

The latest news from Baghdad indicates a relative calm in the Iraqi capital. Military forces are extensively deployed throughout the city of Baghdad. A police source told the German news agency that the main road towards Salah al-Din province north of Baghdad has been blocked by security forces and officers have prevented trucks and vehicles from reaching the capital.

From the city of Kufa, 155 kilometers south of Baghdad, reports have also been given about small protest gatherings.

Social Media Filtering

In Baghdad, curfew measures were imposed from 5 a.m. on Thursday. Security forces attempted to block routes leading to Tahrir Square in Baghdad. The protests started two days earlier through social media announcements. Now news agencies have reported the filtering of these networks in Iraq. These measures have been in place since yesterday, Wednesday, October 2nd, in cities such as Nasiriya, Amara, and Hilla.

According to the French news agency, thousands of protesters moving towards central Baghdad areas were carrying various flags including the Iraqi flag and some religious group flags. Demonstrators attempted to enter Baghdad’s protected or Green Zone.

The anti-corruption commission of the government reportedly issued an order to dismiss thousands of government employees to calm the protests.

Star al-Abidi, one of the 27-year-old protesters in Baghdad, told a German news agency correspondent: “We are not enemies of the government.” His main problem is providing for his family and two children, and he is protesting the lack of sufficient income and stable employment. Al-Abidi says that for a country that produces oil like Iraq, “it is unacceptable that it cannot solve its own problems.”

The protesters’ complaints are mainly about severe corruption in government institutions, unemployment, water shortage, lack of various services, power cuts, and dire living conditions. It is said that most of the protesters are Shiite.

The spread of protests in Iraq has caused severe concern in neighboring countries.

The dismissal of General Abdul Wahab al-Saadi, commander of Iraq’s counter-terrorism forces, from his position has also been one of the factors that drove people to the streets. It is said that this senior general has no affiliation with any faction and is opposed to Iranian and Popular Mobilization Forces influence in Iraq. In many protest placards, it is written “We are all Abdul Wahab al-Saadi.” On social media, this slogan’s hashtag has also received widespread attention from Iraqi users.

A government official who requested anonymity told the French news agency 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 obstruct the activities of the Popular Mobilization Forces.

Source: DW