- Title: Hundreds protest after 80 killed in deadly Baghdad blasts
- Date: 12th May 2016
- Summary: BAGHDAD, IRAQ (MAY 12, 2016) (REUTERS FOR AGENCY POOL) VARIOUS OF CROWDS PROTESTING IN SADR CITY IN BAGHDAD WAVING IRAQI FLAGS CROWD HOLDING BANNERS READING IN ARABIC: "NO, NO, TO THE CORRUPT" AND "MY CITY IS BLEEDING ONCE AGAIN" CROWD CHANTING IN ARABIC: "We are here for you, O City of the honourable" CROWD HOLDING UP POSTER WITH PICTURE OF INTERIOR MINISTER MOHAMMED AL-GHABBAN ALONGSIDE ARABIC WORDS: "Leave, leave, you failure." MORE OF DEMONSTRATION IN PROGRESS CROWD CARRYING WHITE BANNER READING: "The corrupt have shed our blood" CROWD CHANTING: "No, no, to Ghabban" IN REFERENCE TO INTERIOR MINISTER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROTESTER FROM SADR CITY, ALI HUSSEIN, SAYING: "(We will protest) until we prosecute all the corrupt officials starting from the prime minister to (interior minister) Mohammed Al-Ghabban, because he protects the green zone, protects his masters and this corrupt government that killed its people, why he doesn't he protect his people, he puts many concretes barriers and thousands of soldiers to protect the green zone and not protect his people? This - the city of 4 million - will protest until it expels all of you and hold you accountable." PROTESTERS WAVING IRAQI FLAGS AND CHANTING IN ARABIC: "Yes, yes, to Iraq." PROTESTERS WAVING IRAQI FLAGS
- Embargoed: 27th May 2016 19:50
- Keywords: Iraq protests security suicide attack
- Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- City: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: International/National Security
- Reuters ID: LVA0014HI8UVB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:A day after the year's deadliest attack in the Iraqi capital, supporters of a Shi'ite cleric took to the streets of Baghdad on Thursday (May 12) to denounce the government for failing to protect them, escalating political confrontation that could doom the ruling coalition.
Suicide attacks on Wednesday (May 11) killed at least 80 people and wounded more than 110 others, including civilians and security forces. Two more blasts claimed by Islamic State on Thursday left two policemen dead west of Baghdad.
The highest death toll was in Sadr City, a bastion of powerful Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who has led protests in Baghdad since February demanding Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi replace politically-affiliated ministers with independent technocrats.
Hundreds of demonstrators protested in the poor district on Thursday, carrying placards denouncing Abadi, his predecessor Nuri al-Maliki and other top political figures like interior minister Mohammed al-Ghabban, arguing that the entrenched political class had left them undefended.
"(We will protest) until we prosecute all the corrupt officials starting from the prime minister to (interior minister) Mohammed Al-Ghabban, because he protects the green zone, protects his masters and this corrupt government that killed its people, why he doesn't he protect his people, he puts many concretes barriers and thousands of soldiers to protect the green zone and not protect his people? This - the city of 4 million - will protest until it expels all of you and hold you accountable," said protester Ali Hussein.
Security has improved somewhat in the capital in recent years, even as Islamic State fighters seized swathes of the country almost reaching Baghdad's outskirts.
But the prospect raised by this week's carnage that Baghdad could return to the days when suicide bombings killed scores of people every week adds to pressure on Abadi to resolve the political crisis, or risk losing control of parts of the capital even as the army fights Islamic State in the provinces.
Sadr's followers argue that the corrupt political system has undermined the fight against the Sunni Muslim militants, and have called for armed neighbourhood groups to take over from police patrolling city areas. - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
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