- Title: Tear gas fired at Iraqi protesters as they try to storm U.S. embassy
- Date: 31st December 2019
- Summary: VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS SETTING FIRE NEAR U.S. EMBASSY WALL PROTESTER STANDING ON WALL WAVING FLAG PROTESTERS STANDING AROUND FIRE PROTESTERS PUSHING AT U.S. EMBASSY GATES
- Embargoed: 14th January 2020 15:41
- Keywords: Baghdad Iraq Kataib Hezbollah Protests U.S. air strikes U.S. embassy anti-U.S. protests
- Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- City: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA003BCB2XC7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Protesters and militia fighters enraged by U.S. air strikes on Iraq staged a violent demonstration outside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday (December 31), torching a security post and hurling stones as security forces and embassy guards hit back with stun grenades and tear gas.
Iraqi officials said the ambassador and other staff had been evacuated, but this could not be confirmed with American officials.
The protesters and militiamen stormed and burned a security post at the entrance of the U.S. Embassy but did not breach the main compound, Reuters witnesses said.
They threw stones at the gate while others chanted, "No, no, America! No, no, Trump!"
Iraqi special forces were deployed around the main gate to prevent them entering the embassy. U.S.-trained and -equipped Iraqi Counter Terrorism forces later reinforced them.
Medical sources said 12 militiamen were wounded by the tear gas and stun grenades fired to disperse the crowd.
(Production: Khalid al-Mousily, Maher Nazeh, Jamil Ibrahim, Mohammed Katfan, Tanya Lezaic) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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