Video .. "ticked" newspaper protests Iraq

The newspaper "Tektik" is published, printed and distributed by anti-Iraqi activists to thousands of demonstrators in Tahrir Square in central Baghdad. The newspaper bears the name of a three-wheeled vehicle, which has become a symbol of Iraqi protests to be used to transport wounded protesters to the field hospital.

The tactic began as an attempt to overcome what activists call the media blackout imposed by the authorities, which have cut Internet access for weeks, and to crystallize the demands of the protests that swept Baghdad and southern Iraq.

Behind the project are activists with expertise in electronic publishing. They write articles, edit the paper, print it in local print workshops, and distribute about 2,000 copies to the tents of protesters several times a week.

Sitting in a Baghdad cafe reviewing articles on a laptop, its editor, Ahmed Sheikh Majid, says the newspaper is one of the few ways in which street protesters can get real, credible reports of the unrest in the country.

The newspaper includes articles by local activists and translations of international media reports on Iraq.

"It's great," said one protester, who identified himself only by his first name. "It's great," he said.

Continuity
Majid said they could not rely on the official media, pointing out that in the days when security forces clashed with protesters, state television was talking about calm in Baghdad and broadcasting government statements that shyly addressed protests.

Demonstrations, which began on 1 October in the Iraqi capital before quickly spreading to southern Iraq, erupted in protest at the lack of jobs and poor services.

The demands have now changed to include the exclusion of the political elite, seen as corrupt and serving the interests of Iran and the United States, Iraq's two main allies. The protests are the biggest challenge to the political system created after the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi's government has pledged reforms including job opportunities for graduates, holding corrupt officials accountable, electoral changes and early elections.

Demonstrators and editors say these reforms are insufficient. They will keep the ruling clique in power and intend to continue protesting and publishing. "They continue to publish until the demands of the revolution are met," he said.