After the death on Friday of twenty protesters killed by armed men, there is fear of escalating tensions in Iraq. Thousands of Iraqis mobilized again on Saturday (December 7th) against the Iranian government and its godfather in Baghdad and in the southern cities of the country.
Protesters flocked to Tahrir Square, the epicenter of protests in Baghdad, to demand the collapse of the entire system and its politicians with, despite a massive deployment of security forces.
In the evening, a protester said she feared further violence. "Security forces block the streets leading to Tahrir and protesters fail to reach it, but the same (Attackers) who attacked us yesterday, they pass. " Nevertheless, she is determined to protest despite what the protesters call "The massacre of Senek", from the name of the bridge near Tahrir Square in Baghdad where the killing took place.
A shell is aimed at the house of Moqtada Sadr
Friday evening, unidentified gunmen attacked a parking lot occupied by protesters around the Senek bridge. Bilan: Twenty protesters and four policemen were killed, and a hundred people wounded, according to a final balance of medical sources. The four policemen were killed by assailants shooting from the dark floors to the streets below, according to witnesses.
The chaos of gunfire – filmed live on social networks by running or shouting protesters – continued for several hours into the night. The state assures that it can neither identify nor arrest the perpetrators of attacks on protesters in a country where pro-Iran armed factions are gaining influence.
A few hours after the killings on Friday night, a drone-fired shrapnel targeted the home of Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr in the holy Shiite city of Najaf south of Baghdad, an attack that could "To start a civil war", warned his spokesman, while calling for " restraint ".
Versatile politician and former militia leader who officially surrendered but keeps thousands of fighters, Moqtada Sadr was not at home at the time of the attack. He had been the first to call for the departure of the government of Adel Abdel Mahdi, whose resignation was accepted on 1st December by Parliament.
"Dangerous trajectory"
On the responsibility for the killings, police sources say they have collected information on the will of pro-Iran armed factions, to attack the protesters who say fear now the worst. For Amnesty International, "The attack well coordinated" many men "Heavily armed and aboard a long convoy of vehicles" pose "Serious questions about how they were able to cross checkpoints in Baghdad and commit such a massacre".
After the killing, Iraqi President Barham Saleh called for "Protect peaceful protesters" and find and judge " the criminals ". The UN has warned that "Violence by gangs from outside loyalties risks putting Iraq on a dangerous trajectory".
