At least four anti-government protesters were killed and many more injured on Friday after security forces fired on crowds in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah, witnesses told news agencies.
A hospital source told Reuters that most of the protesters had died from bullet wounds and that around 120 more had been wounded. At least 57 members of security forces were also injured.
Demonstrations have been defying lockdown measures and a second wave of coronavirus infections to call for the resignation of Nazem al-Waeli, governor of the Dhi Qar governorate.
The protests have focused on the deteriorating public services in the region. Security forces fired on crowds on Sunday as protesters had been attempting to storm government buildings with rocks and Molotov cocktails.
Amnesty slams government failures
Protesters had closed down the city's main bridges at which point security forces opened fire with live rounds to disperse the crowds.
Amnesty International's Iraq office confirmed that protesters had been killed after obtaining a video of the events.
"Amnesty has also verified videos from Nasiriyah that contain clear audio of gunfire and show police firing weapons as well as dead protesters in the streets," the organization said in a tweet.
Another tweet called on the Iraqi government to end the "bloodshed" after failing to "address the impunity with which protesters are being killed."
Ongoing protests in southern Iraq
Southern Iraq has been a hotbed of protest in recent years after decades of conflict and neglect have left public services in a dire situation. Residents complain about polluted water and only having several hours of electricity per day.
Large-scale protests in late 2019 led to the resignation of the former prime minister, Adel Abdel Mahdi. Almost 600 people were also killed over months of ongoing violent protests. Nine people were killed in Nasiriyah in November.
Violence erupts during protests in Iraq
Protests begin as civilians try to enter government property
On October 1, thousands of protesters took to the streets in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad to protest the government. Among their demands were reducing unemployment, providing better services and ending corruption. The demonstrations converged on the centrally located Tahrir Square. The protesters also tried to enter the fortified Green Zone, which houses embassies and government buildings.
Violence erupts during protests in Iraq
Violent police crackdown
Security forces responded to the protesters attempt to enter the Green Zone by blocking roads and using tear gas, stun guns and water canons. After the demonstrators refused to leave, the forces opened fire with rubber bullets and with live fire. More than 200 were reportedly injured and one died. One other person died and dozens more were injured in related protests elsewhere in Iraq.
Violence erupts during protests in Iraq
Calls for restraint
The embattled Iraqi government has only been in power since October 2018. Following the protests, it increased security in Baghdad. Iraqi President Barham Saleh (pictured above in a photo from March 2019) urged "restraint and respect for the law." The UN's top official in Iraq also expressed "grave concern."
Violence erupts during protests in Iraq
More protests, more deaths
Protests continued despite the violence. On October 2, fresh demonstrations broke out in downtown Baghdad. Police, who were at the ready with armored vehicles and riot gear, responded with more live fire. By the end of the day, seven people were killed, bringing the total death count over the first two days of October to nine.
Violence erupts during protests in Iraq
Protest multiply
The demonstrations and riots also spread from Baghdad to Iraq's south. In some places demonstrators set buildings on fire. Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi blamed the violence on "aggressors" and called an emergency national security meeting. While some politicians joined him in criticizing the protesters, others condemned the government's response.
Violence erupts during protests in Iraq
More instability ahead
The government issued a curfew in Baghdad and three southern cities as standoffs continued nationwide, including at the airport outside the capital. By the end of October 3, at least 25 people had been killed. The border between Iraq and Iran was closed ahead of a religious pilgrimage to the Iraqi city of Karbala. Iran urged its citizens not to travel to Iraq; Bahrain issued a similar warning.
Violence erupts during protests in Iraq
Anti-government blogger arrested
Come mid-October, determined protesters set fires and closed streets. Meanwhile, Shujaa al-Khafaji, an Iraqi blogger, had been detained, apparently over his coverage of the unrest. A relative of the outspoken writer, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said heavily armed masked gunmen snatched him from his apartment in a dawn raid.
Violence erupts during protests in Iraq
No end in sight as death toll rises
As the month neared its end, there was no conclusion to the angry protests. Prime Minister Adel Abdel-Mahdi promised reforms, but still civilians gathered in Baghdad's Tahrir Square waving Iraqi flags and chanting slogans demanding the resignation of the government. More deaths ensued as unrest escalated both in the capital and in the mainly Shiite-populated southern provinces.
Author: Cristina Burack
Current prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who replaced Mahdi in May 2020, promised to seek justice for fallen activists but prosecutions have yet to begin.
Friday's violence came a week before Pope Francis plans to visit the region in the first-ever papal visit to the country.
