Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Iraq yesterday, for the third consecutive day of protest movement against the political class, stressing their steadfastness in their movement, and as Iraqi security caused injuries to demonstrators in Baghdad and Basra, urged the Shiite authority in Iraq Ali al-Sistani security forces not to use excessive force to suppress unrest Anti-government and the department for weeks.
In detail, hundreds of demonstrators flocked to Tahrir Square in Baghdad amid tight security measures, while sources said that security forces used liquefied gas to disperse protesters at the bridge of Tahrir in Baghdad, and prevented demonstrators from reaching the Martyrs Bridge, causing injuries due to the dispersal of security at the Martyrs Bridge . A source pointed to clashes between riot police and demonstrators in Al-Rashid Street, while intensifying their procedures at all entrances to Tahrir Square.
This comes as Iraqi state television reported that explosives experts detonated a bomb under a bridge was witnessing daily protests against the government in the capital. The report gave no further details of Friday's bombing under the Senk bridge over the Tigris River that runs through Baghdad.
Medical sources said that 35 people were injured in clashes near the Martyrs Bridge in the capital Baghdad, with the continued mass demonstrations for the 13th day in a row and thousands of people gathered in the center of the capital.
Meanwhile, after the commander of Baghdad operations confirmed on Thursday that orders had been issued to arrest the force that opened fire in the air to disperse protesters in Rashid Baghdad street, police and medical sources said that Iraqi security forces shot dead at least six protesters in central Baghdad on Thursday.
In Basra, Iraqi security forces fired live ammunition at the demonstrators, where the death toll rose to 12 after the deaths of two wounded, while more than 270 injured. The funeral of Basra victims amid tight security measures, while security forces in the province of Karbala cut a main road heading from the square of the demonstration to the building of the province. An Iraqi security source said earlier that security forces closed most of the main streets in Basra province. The Iraqi media quoted him as saying that «security forces have intensified their actions in the province of Basra», pointing to «the presence of a large security deployment». The source explained that «security forces cut and closed most of the main streets of Basra».
Earlier, Reuters reported that security forces shot dead at least six protesters in central Baghdad and four others in Basra. But the Iraqi security forces said that the parties described as "deviant" assault firearms on citizens and security forces in Basra, and seek to mix the papers. In the first comment on the deaths of four protesters in Basra as security forces broke up a sit-in, Iraqi television quoted a spokesman for the commander-in-chief said that "perverted sides" assaulted firearms at citizens and security forces in the province. He said: «deviant parties seeking to mix the papers, caused the death and injury of a number of citizens in Basra».
On the other hand, the access of employees to official departments and oil facilities is still not possible due to the general strikes, while about 100,000 barrels of oil allocated for export are still stuck in the north of the country because trucks could not reach south. Despite the violence, the demonstrators stress the continuation of their protests in the Iraqi arena, especially liberation, until the change of the political system, and the renewal of the political class, which has monopolized power for 16 years.
On the political level, things seem to be frozen to date, especially with the announcement of Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi on Tuesday that the solutions offered so far are not sufficient purpose, especially the holding of early parliamentary elections.
For his part, called on the Shiite authority in Iraq, Ali al-Sistani, yesterday, not to «procrastination and procrastination» and to respond to «the demands of citizens according to a road map agreed upon, implemented in a specific period of time».
"Maintaining the peaceful nature of the protests in all their forms is of great importance," said a representative of Sistani in the Friday sermon in Karbala. "The biggest responsibility lies with the security forces to avoid the use of violence, especially excessive violence in dealing with peaceful protesters, it is unwarranted and leads to consequences." Dire. ”
Sistani warned of the existence of «parties and internal and external .. may today seek to exploit the ongoing protest movement to achieve some of its objectives». He said that «there are parties and external and internal parties had a role in the harm suffered by Iraq, oppression and abuse, and may seek today to exploit the current mass movement to implement its aims».
"The demonstrators should be wary of these outside interventions so that their gathering is not disturbed," he said. He continued that «the political forces holding power a new opportunity to respond to the demands of the demonstrators implemented for a period of time, and may not be further procrastination and procrastination because of the great risks». He explained that «peaceful demonstration is the right of every Iraqi adult and full expression of his opinion, and demand the right of those who participated or did not participate and no one should oblige the other to participate in the demonstrations».
He pointed out that the peacefulness of the protests is of great importance and the responsibility lies with the security forces and avoid the use of excessive violence in dealing with the protesters and unwarranted, and that most of the demonstrators observe the peacefulness of the demonstrations and avoid exposure to security forces and government and private facilities, should stop meeting them with violence.
Sistani: Responsibility for maintaining peaceful protests lies
On the security forces.