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Iraq
Anti-government protesters walk into clouds of smoke from burning tires during a demonstration in the southern city of Basra on November 17, 2019. Photo: Hussein Faleh/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Protesters in Basra blocked main roads in the city early on Sunday morning to push people to continue nationwide strikes.
The road blockades follow Sunday announcements of national strikes in an attempt to push the Iraqi government to meet the demands of the protesters.
Four provinces in southern Iraq, including Wasit, Babil, Misan, and Dhi Qar announced Sunday as a national holiday as a result of the strikes.
In Baghdad, many schools have been closed by protesters.
“The school is closed after an official order from the people,” reads posters hung on their doors.
Firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr tweeted on Wednesday a list of advice for protesters and called on all governmental employees to go on strike “even if it is for one day.”
Youth took to the streets across southern Iraq on October 1, protesting against a lack of basic services, rampant corruption and high unemployment.
After a pause to observe the Shiite commemoration of Arbaeen, protesters expanded their demands, calling for an end to the current governance system and the resignation of the three top officials – the president, prime minister, and parliamentary speaker.
At least 320 protesters and members of the security forces have been killed since October 1, with around 15,000 others wounded due to the clashes between security forces and protesters.
The government has been slow to respond to protester demands, prompting the blockade of roads leading to major oil fields in the south of the country. City centers have also been shut down, leaving schools and workplaces empty in order to pressure Baghdad officials.
Protests persisted in the southern city of Basra on Saturday, where the main road to one of the country’s biggest oilfields was blocked off.
Located 60 kilometers from Basra, Majnoon is one of the richest oil fields in the world, with an estimated 38 billion barrels of oil.
The blockade of oilfields, oil tanker routes and major ports by protesters has crippled the Iraqi economy, draining the country of billions of dollars. A single week of blockade at Umm Qasr port in Basra caused an estimated 6$ billion in losses.
The United Nations' Special Envoy to Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, called on protesters to avoid blocking roads to oil installations and ports, as they cause "billions in losses" and undermine the fulfillment of protesters' legitimate demands.
"Disruption of critical infrastructure also of grave concern. Responsibility of all to protect public facilities. Threats/closures of roads to oil installations, ports causing billions in losses. Detrimental to Iraq's economy, undermines fulfilling protesters' legitimate demands," Hennis-Plasschaert tweeted.
Hennis-Plasschaert’s tweet angered Iraqis, however, with many accusing the UN special representative of caring more about oil than the Iraqi people.
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