A demonstrator carries an Iraqi flag as he walks near burning tires, during ongoing anti-government protests in Najaf, Iraq January 12, 2020. (Photo: Reuters)
Clashes, demonstrations erupt throughout Iraq shutting down roads and bridges
Clashes, demonstrations and road closures continued throughout Iraq on Sunday as the January 20 deadline for authorities to meet the demands of the people approaches.
Multiple roads and bridges in various regions throughout the country have been shut down by protesters using burning tyres. Most government offices and schools have been shut down for the day as well, according to Al Arabiya sources.
Clashes between demonstrators and riot police have erupted in different areas including the capital Baghdad where forces fired tear gas into the crowds. Multiple injuries and cases of suffocation were reported, according to local media.
Protesters on Saturday burned the Hezbollah headquarters in Iraq, which is located near the al-Iskan bridge in the Najaf province.
“Respect yourselves and fulfill our demands because it has reached its limit. Tomorrow the deadline expires,” an Iraqi protester says as hundreds of angry young Iraqis are descending on the main protest camp in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square.https://t.co/fex1NbL1YG pic.twitter.com/x9a5jh3F1Y
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) January 19, 2020
Angry demonstrations have rocked Baghdad and Iraq’s south for the last three months, denouncing the country’s corrupt political system.
Since October, the unrest has seen around 460 people killed and some 25,000 wounded, the vast majority of them demonstrators.
