Several schools and government institutions continued to close in Baghdad and a number of southern cities in Iraq, yesterday. As protests continued, which entered its second month, demanding «to overthrow the system», and demonstrators cut off the main roads in different neighborhoods.
The protests, which began on October 1, saw bloody violence, which killed at least 260 people, and amid calls by activists for civil disobedience, increased participation to include unions, including the Teachers' Union, which declared a general strike that paralyzed most public schools in Capital and South.
In Baghdad, demonstrators blocked main roads in different districts, including Sadr City, to prevent traffic. The police did not interfere with surveillance, and other demonstrators, including school and university students, participated in the teachers union strike announced last week.
In turn, the unions of engineers, lawyers and doctors also announced a general strike in support of the protests, while demonstrators blocked roads in Kut, the largest city of Wasit province south of Baghdad.
Nasiriyah witnessed a civil disobedience, where demonstrators closed the four bridges of the city, which led to the cessation of work in most government institutions and schools, while other cities in the south of the country witnessed similar strikes, including Diwaniya (south of Baghdad), where demonstrators hung a large banner on the building of the provincial council, It reads "Closed by the people."
Many employees declined to go to work in the city of Hilla, Babil province south of Baghdad, amid the closure of most government departments, according to the correspondent «AFP».
In Basra, the country's richest oil province, where the country's only seaport has been closed, government schools have been closed for the first time since protests broke out early last month.The protesters continued to block the main road to the port of Umm Qasr, one of the country's main seaports for importing food, medical and other goods.
A source at the port told «AFP»: «pulled about 12 ships after waiting to unload their cargo in the port, to another place».
Iraqi security forces reopened a number of roads and bridges, after demonstrators closed them for several hours, which led to traffic jams as the official opening hours in different areas of Baghdad and a number of provinces.
Medical sources told AFP that at least one person was killed and dozens injured during clashes with security forces in Tahrir Square in central Baghdad, the main center of the protests in the capital, the day before yesterday, while the Iraqi Commission for Human Rights, in a statement, yesterday , Concerned about the fate of «kidnapped», including demonstrators, journalists and medical cadres.
The Iraqi Prime Minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi, held a meeting, on the evening of yesterday, to discuss the protection of demonstrators in Baghdad and the provinces, and a statement of the Iraqi government that they discussed the latest developments, and emphasize the performance of the security services to maintain security and stability, and carry out its duties in accordance with the directives to protect peaceful protesters , Public and private property, and vital installations.
Protesters continue to close the main road
Leading to the port «Umm Qasr».