Iraq : Death toll rises as anti-government protests turn violent

Nearly 60 people have died in the anti-government protests across Iraq. Clashes broke out between the protestors and paramilitary forces. According to reports, the death toll reached 220 in October including the people killed in clashes as protestors torched government buildings or offices belonging to factions of the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary forces.

Death toll rises 

The protests in Iraq started on October 1 with people staging protests against Government for unemployment and corruption. However, 63 people were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded in two days, according to reports by the Iraqi Human Rights Commission as protests turned violent. Sources reveal, the use of tear gas and force against protestors. However, the majority of the victims were from the country's Shiite majority in the south. Three people were shot reportedly while setting fire to a police station. Despite the curfew orders by the security forces, protests still took place in the country's Diwaniyah, Nasiriyah, Babylon and Najaf regions.  

Protests against corruption and unemployment

The recent nationwide protests are among the largest that the country has seen in decades. The protests erupted in Baghdad and in several provinces over high unemployment, poor basic services, and state corruption. "Armed entities sabotaging the peaceful demonstrations, eroding the government's credibility and ability to act, cannot be tolerated," said the UN top official in Iraq. 

According to reports, Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi has proposed a few reforms including increased pensions and hiring drives. A scheduled parliament meet was unsuccessful to take place owing to the lack of quorum. Earlier, the ministry in a statement said, "The security forces secured the protection of demonstrations and protesters responsibly and with high restraint, by refraining from using firearms or excessive force against demonstrators."

Earlier, in June, demonstrators gathered in outside the city's new administrative headquarters to vent their anger about poor basic services. The old headquarters were burnt down during 2018's months-long protest.

(With AFP inputs)

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