Two protesters injured in clashes with police in Nasiriyah: activists

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Two protesters in Iraq’s southern city of Nasiriyah were injured in clashes with police forces who fired tear gas and bullets at crowds, activists in the city told Rudaw on Friday.

The police crackdown in Habboubi Square, often the center of protests in the city, comes the day after a large-scale arrest campaign against activists on Thursday, the two activists told Rudaw. Among those subjected to Thursday’s crackdown was activist Ihsan al-Hilali, who was run over by a police car and arrested, both activists said.

"The demonstrators wanted to enter Habboubi Square in Nasiriyah and protest peacefully on Friday afternoon, but the security forces prevented them, which led to clashes,” said Wali Jabar, an activist in Nasiriyah.

"Security forces confronted the protests with tear gas canisters and fire," Jabar said.

Nasiriyah has witnessed some of the bloodiest crackdown on demonstrators since popular protests calling for an end to government corruption and inadequate basic service provision began in October 2019.

In November 2020, protesters in Habboubi Square were forced out of their tents and shot at by supporters of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, leaving at least seven people dead and scores wounded. Protesters moved back into the square a week later and vowed to continue protesting.

"In light of the recent clashes with Sadr allies, Nasiriyah protests took a decision to demonstrate every Friday" Jabar said, stressing that the widespread campaign of arrests and repression "will not discourage protesters."

"The way security forces arrest activists is illegal; they act like militias," Hussain al-Gharabi, an activist in Nasiriya told Rudaw.

Accusations against the activists “will not stop the demonstrators from protesting," al-Gharabi said.

At least 600 protesters and members of the security forces were killed and more than 18,000 injured since the protest movement emerged, Amnesty International said in January 2020.