Tens of thousands of protesters have again massed Tahrir Square in Baghdad to demand the departure of the government and criticize the hegemonism of Iran.
Nothing seems to be able to begin the determination of the Iraqis to bring down the heads of the power in place. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have again massed Tahrir Square, epicenter of the capital, Friday 1st November, for one of the biggest demonstrations since the start of the protest movement, a month ago.
They again challenged the security forces, who killed several demonstrators, and criticized Iran's involvement in the country's affairs.
As protesters gathered in the square and boulevards of the capital, security forces reinforced their security on the two bridges leading to the "green zone" – home to the country's main institutions, including the headquarters of the city. government.
At least 100 people were killed and 5,500 wounded in a week of protests and violence in Iraq, the government's Human Rights Commission said on Wednesday. The assessment includes all deaths since the resumption on Thursday of the anti-government protest movement, said the Commission, adding not being able to give the date of each of the dead, because it has difficulties in gathering information. The official record of the first episode of contestationst to October 6, is 157 dead.
Washington calls Baghdad to "listen to legitimate demands"
The protesters are calling for nothing less than "The fall of the regime", this regime dominated by Shiite political parties and their armed arms, supported by the Iranian neighbor. And while they mainly accuse Iranian-backed Shiite militias of being behind repression, they blame the government and its armed forces for doing nothing to protect them.
On Friday, Washington called on the Iraqi government to "Listen to legitimate requests" Some protestors. In a statement, the head of the American diplomacy, Mike Pompeo, criticized in particular the investigation carried out by the authorities of Baghdad on the deadly violence which enamelled the beginning of the contestation, which "Lack" according to him "The necessary credibility". "Iraqis deserve justice and officials are really accountable", did he declare. "Recent strict restrictions on press and speech freedoms need to be relaxed", he insisted again, considering that these were freedoms "Inseparable from any democratic reform".
