ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – At least four people have been killed in clashes with Iraqi security forces since protests began on Tuesday in the capital Baghdad and spread to other provinces, according to data from Iraq’s High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR).
Mass protests against corruption, unemployment, and the lack of basic services resumed in Baghdad on Wednesday, with security forces firing live ammunition, rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons to disperse the crowd.
Protesters again gathered in the capital’s Tahrir Square, and spread to the al-Shaab neighborhood in the city’s north, and Zaafaraniya in the south, according to AFP reports.
The main road from central Baghdad to the city's international airport has also been blocked by protesters, travelers have been warned.
Iraq’s President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi have urged restraint.
Protests have also spread to Iraq’s southern oil-hub of Basra, Dhi Qar, and other parts of the country. Nine provinces have reported unrest, according to the IHCHR.
As of 3pm local time (GMT+3) on Wednesday, two protesters have been killed in Baghdad and two more in Nasiriya province, according to IHCHR data seen by Rudaw English. Some 212 civilians and 82 members of the security forces have been injured.
The IHCHR data also revealed that at least 120 protesters have been detained since the protests began on Tuesday. They were all later released on Wednesday, it said.
According to AFP, another protester was killed in clashes with security forces in Nasiriya province on Wednesday.
The Iraqi Defense Ministry released a statement on Wednesday ordering security forces to be on “high alert” to protect government buildings and diplomatic missions.
The US embassy in Baghdad also released a statement on Wednesday condemning the violence on both sides.
“US embassy in Baghdad continues to monitor recent protests closely,” the statement read. “The right to demonstrate peacefully is a fundamental right in all democracies, but there is no place for violence in demonstrations from any side.”
The embassy also sent condolences to the families of those killed and urged all sides to “reject violence while exercising restraint”.
Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office has updated its travel advice to UK nationals visiting Iraq.
“Large protests have been taking place in central Baghdad since 1 October,” it states on its website. “The Iraqi Security Forces have used live ammunition and tear gas against the protesters.”
“The road from central Baghdad to Baghdad Airport is currently blocked by protesters. Other protests are taking place in towns across Iraq. You should monitor local media for updates on the situation,” it added.
The Iraqi government and the parliament say they will launch inquiries into the heavy-handed response of security forces.
“At a time when we are saddened and our heart aches due to casualties among our protesting children, the security forces and the destruction of public property… we have at once started undertaking a professional investigation to determine the causes of the incidents,” Iraq’s PM Abdul-Mahdi said Tuesday.
The PM accused provocateurs of attacking security forces with knives and Molotov cocktails and of “pillaging” public property.
The Iraqi parliament has tasked the Security and Defense Committee and the Human Rights Committee with handling its inquiry.
“The Presidency of the Parliament affirms the freedom of peaceful protests that the Constitution has guaranteed… and calls on security forces to preserve public order while controlling themselves and to not use excessive force on protesters,” a parliament statement said.
Iraqi President Salih also issued a statement on Tuesday, saying: “Peaceful protest is a guaranteed constitutional right of the people. Our sons in the security forces have the task of protecting the rights of the people, and preserving public order. I emphasize restraint and respect of laws.”
“Iraq’s youth expects reform and job opportunities, and our duty is to meet these legitimate entitlements,” he added.
Former defense minister and prominent Sunni politician Khalid al-Obeidi condemned the excessive use of force.
“We have a government that doesn’t respect freedom of expression or peaceful protesting,” Obeidi said Tuesday.
Such state-sanctioned action “cannot pass without a parliamentary and legislature response” and the government must be held to account, he added.
On Wednesday, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq (UNAMI), expressed her “concern” following the violence.
“Every individual has the right to speak freely, in keeping with the law,” Hennis-Palasschaert said in a statement, urging restraint among Iraqi security forces in their handling of protesters.
Iraqis have long protested the lack of basic services, particularly drinking water and electricity. They have also protested the shortage of jobs. Mass protests which began in Basra last summer quickly spread nationwide, killing at least 14.
“There is no public employment. We are tired of the state. Nothing works. There is no paving, no electricity,” one protestor told Rudaw on Tuesday.
The recent removal of Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi, a commander of Iraq’s counter-terrorism Forces credited with the defeat of ISIS, has fueled further anger.
Others are unsalaried fighters of a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) faction under the control of the Ministry of Defense demanding regular pay and better support. In an apparent response to protest pressure, Abdul-Mahdi gave “directions” for the 27,000 unpaid PMF members under MoD command to be integrated into Iraq’s security forces through “gradual recruitment”.
Iraqi post-graduates have been demanding government jobs since June, holding regular demonstrations in Baghdad.
With additional reporting by Lawk Ghafuri
