• Tweeter

  • republish

During a demonstration in Baghdad, January 20, 2020. REUTERS / Khalid al-Mousily

After a few weeks of calm in Iraq, anti-power demonstrators have taken to the streets in Baghdad and in the south of the country, intoxicated with anger at the government's lack of response. Since early October, these protesters have called early elections to renew the political class and major reforms against the country's endemic corruption. Requests remained for the hour dead letter.

With our correspondent in Baghdad, Lucile Wassermann

The scenes of violence resume in Baghdad. Around the main assembly points, Tahrir Square, or in Sadr City, clashes between the police and demonstrators have once again claimed many victims.

On the one hand, the protesters tried to block the main roads, by burning tires, and by throwing Molotov cocktails. On the other, the security forces were trying to dislodge them, using tear gas or stun grenades.

The same techniques used since the beginning of the demonstrations in Iraq at the beginning of October and which have already caused the death of several hundreds of people, on the side of the protesters, like security forces.

The violence comes after protesters gave the government a week-long ultimatum on Monday (January 13th) to follow up on their demands for reform.

Without response, these protesters took to the streets, in Baghdad and in the south of the country, now calling for escalation.