Demonstrations continue in several Iraqi cities, with activists threatening to escalate tactics

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Protests renewed on Monday in the Iraqi cities of Nasiriyah and Najaf, with some demonstrators threatening sit-ins in front of local government offices should their demands not be met.

A number of members of Iraqi parliament from Dhi Qar province, where Nasiriyah is located, held a meeting with Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Sunday to discuss candidates for the governor position. The PM appointed Abdul-Ghani Al-Asadi temporarily to the position following the resignation of Nathim Al-Waeli in the face of bloody protests calling for his dismissal.

Rejecting the presented candidates, protestors on Monday took to the streets of Nasiriyah again blocking roads leading to the governorate building with burning tires, threatening to escalate their movement in the coming days, activists confirmed.

"These candidates are affiliated with political blocs,” Nasiriyah activist Zayed al Assad told Rudaw English on Monday, adding that demonstrations will continue until an "independent figure" is nominated for governor.

In the central Iraqi city of Najaf, protests renewed for a third day in a row calling for the resignation of the local government. Some protesters threatened to escalate tactics to a sit-in in the coming days.

“Some protesters insist on escalating by forming a sit-in in front of the governorate building, until the local government resigns, while others see diplomacy and dialogue as better to stop bloodshed,” Najaf activist Ali al-Mufadhal told Rudaw English.

A campaign of mass arrests has been taking place against protesters in Najaf, local activist Hassan Sirdah said.

Several other Iraqi provinces, including Babil, Diwaniyah, and Muthanna have been recently witnessing demonstrations calling for the dismissal of local governments.

Demonstrations continue in several Iraqi cities, with activists threatening to escalate tactics

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