Security forces and riot police are deployed heavily in the Iraqi capital and have closed all roads leading to a major central square that saw violent confrontations between protesters and police a day earlier.
Two people were killed and more than 200 injured after security forces opened fire with live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas at anti-government protesters Tuesday evening.
On Wednesday, Iraqi municipal workers were cleaning up Tahrir Square, spraying the street with water while bulldozers removed debris. Security forces were heavily deployed in the area with armored personnel carriers, SUVs and dozens of riot policemen standing guard on side streets.
A bridge that leads from Tahrir Square to the fortified Green Zone — home to government offices and foreign embassies — was closed in the morning.