An Iraqi protester died today from a head injury during confrontations last night with the security forces in Baghdad, the third protester to die since Sunday, in violent protests against poor services and poor electricity provision, while Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kazemi said that the security services are obligated to protect protesters Of any targeting or attempt to shuffle the papers, in conjunction with the Iraqi Ministry of Interior warning of the presence of "dangerous criminal groups" in Tahrir Square seeking to create chaos.
A medical source said, "The protester was hit in the head and chest by a tear gas canister, which was fired at him, and he died of his wounds after he was brought into intensive care." Medical sources said that 13 other protesters were injured last night.
đź”´ I wished to bounce your wedding, not for the righteousness, the
martyr
" Hajjat Haider Hassan", the
son of Iraq, the righteous
son of the Eternal Teshreen Revolution
Mercy and eternity for
the martyrs of the immortal Tishreen revolution,
shame and disgrace for the killers # Fatiha pic.twitter.com/ZVFMTS1v0K
- Firas W. Alsarray - Firas Al-Saray (@firasalsarrai) July 28, 2020
Dozens of Iraqi activists organized a protest in the center of the capital, Baghdad, in which they demanded the disclosure of the killers of the demonstrators in the sit-in squares, and those who are absent from the activists demanding reform in Iraq.
The demonstrators, who gathered in Al-Firdous Square, uploaded pictures of the dead and kidnapped, and accused the prime minister of delaying and delaying the detection of the protesters' killers.
In the south of the country, local sources said in Dhi Qar Governorate that a number of areas in the governorate witnessed demonstrations on Monday evening, denouncing the deterioration of the level of basic services, especially electricity.
These sources also mentioned that the city of Najaf witnessed a demonstration in which dozens of young men participated, and the demands themselves were raised. In the city of Hilla (the center of Babil Governorate, south of Baghdad), the sources said that dozens of protesters burned tires, and cut the main road linking the capital, Baghdad, with a number of southern provinces.
Al-Kazemi's statements
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi said that the security forces and services are obligated to protect the demanding protest movement from any targeting or attempting to mix the cards, from any party.
Al-Kazimi stressed - during the cabinet session today, Tuesday - that there is no retreat from strengthening state institutions, stressing the need to work with all efforts to overcome challenges and meet citizens' demands and needs.
He stressed that he directed the ministers and service departments concerned to avoid bureaucratic obstacles, and work with flexible methods in implementing decisions, and whoever will obstruct any decision will be taken legal measures against him.
Al-Kazemi said in statements yesterday, Monday, that it is not fair and fair to ask a government whose actual age is two months to pay the bill of pillaging and pillage committed by previous groups and governments, stressing that the security forces were not given permission to shoot at the demonstrators, and that he ordered an investigation into the events of Sunday and provide facts during 72 hours, holding accountable for the suffering caused to the citizens.
Al-Kazimi renewed his description of himself as a living martyr, reminding that this government came after a sea of ​​blood, and it will not cause blood at all costs.
He said, "I feel a lot of pain and I see my people suffering in the burning flame due to the ruin in electricity." .
Meanwhile, the Iraqi Ministry of Interior has warned of the presence of what it called "dangerous criminal groups" in Tahrir Square, seeking to create chaos by beating protesters from the inside, and making clashes with the security services.
The ministry said - in a statement - that "the security forces are obligated not to use live bullets with the demonstrators for any reason, and strict instructions have been issued in this regard, and the demonstrators must cooperate with the security services to protect the square and control the elements that are trying to carry out assassinations attributed to the security forces."
The demonstrations are an annual summer tradition in Iraq, especially with the chronic blackout, which no government has yet been able to find a radical solution to.
Iraq had witnessed since last October a wave of widespread protests denouncing corruption, unemployment and deteriorating services, and hundreds of people were killed and thousands wounded during these protests, which stopped last March due to the outbreak of the Coruna virus.
And Iraq is going through the worst economic crisis in its recent history, in light of a severe austerity policy, with the continuing decline in oil prices, the country's only source of foreign currency.