- Title: At least five Iraqis killed as violent protests spread nationwide
- Date: 2nd October 2019
- Summary: BAGHDAD, IRAQ (OCTOBER 2, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS PROFANITY*** PROTESTERS DEMONSTRATING ON STREET SECURITY FORCES OPENING FIRE ON PROTESTERS / PROTESTERS RUNNING / TEAR GAS BEING DEPLOYED PROTESTERS RUNNING / SOUND OF GUNFIRE PROTESTERS RUNNING / SMOKE FROM TEAR GAS AND BURNING TYRES ON ROAD PROTESTERS CARRYING INJURED PROTESTERS AND RUNNING INJURED PROTESTER LYING ON GROUND BEING HELPED PEOPLE HELPING MAN SITTING ON ROAD AMBULANCE ARRIVING / PEOPLE CARRYING INJURED MAN INTO AMBULANCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER, SAYING: "This is the people's protest, it is not being directed by anyone. These people are all revolting and they will not stop until the government changes. We gave them a chance for a year and then two years, they kept putting us down. We are the people and we are not backed by parties." ANGRY PROTESTERS SHOUTING (Arabic) "The marjaiya (Shia clerical establishment) should intervene", (Iranian Islamic revolution figurehead Ayatollah) Khomeini is a shit", "I swear to God they're worse than Israel" PROTESTERS GATHERING AROUND ENTRANCE TO TUNNEL, SMALL FIRES BURNING ON THE ROAD PROTESTERS STANDING NEAR AMBULANCE, SMOKE IN DISTANCE VARIOUS OF AMBULANCES DRIVING TO PROTESTS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS GATHERED ON STREET, FLAMES AND SMOKE RISING FROM BURNING TYRES VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING (NIGHT SHOT) PROTESTERS RUNNING / SOUND OF GUNSHOTS (NIGHT SHOT)
- Embargoed: 16th October 2019 19:26
- Keywords: Iraq protests Baghdad protesters police shooting rally demonstrators tear gas
- Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- City: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZEP4CN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE THIS EDIT CONTAINS A PROFANITY IN SHOT 10
Five people were killed and at least 132 wounded on Wednesday (October 2) in renewed nationwide clashes between demonstrators and Iraqi security forces, the largest display of public anger against Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi's year-old government.
The protests, which started on Tuesday (October 1) over unemployment, corruption, and poor public services, have escalated, with many chanting for the "fall of the regime", a slogan first popularised during the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings.
Police and the army opened fire and launched tear gas canisters to disperse hundreds of protesters all over Baghdad. Protesters blocked the main highway connecting the capital to Iraq's northern provinces.
In the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriya, gunfights between protesters and security forces broke out, with elite counter-terrorism troops deploying after police "lost control" of the situation, police sources told Reuters.
Thousands gathered in the oil-rich city of Basra but the protests were peaceful. There were also peaceful protests in Samawa.
An interior ministry spokesman said one child was killed on Wednesday when a protester threw a bottle filled with gasoline at a vehicle carrying civilian passengers in Baghdad. Another was killed in the southern city of Emara and one protester died of wounds sustained on Tuesday.
(Production: Maher Nazeh, Mostafa Salem, Lucy Marks) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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