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Iraq Death Toll at 44 as Violent Repression of Protests Continues

HeadlineOct 04, 2019

In Iraq, the death toll after three days of anti-government protests has risen to 44 people as police and soldiers continue to open fire on thousands of demonstrators who are defying government-imposed curfews. The largest number of casualties have occurred in the city of Nasiriyah, where dozens of people have been shot dead. More of the deaths occurred in Baghdad, when police opened fire with tear gas and live bullets on protesters in the city’s Tahrir Square.

Protester: “We are Iraqis, and we are demanding our rights. This is all we want. We want an occupation, a job that would bring us some good. What have you done to us? Have we elected you into power for a day like this? You have pushed us backward, and the religious clerics are corrupt.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi addressed the nation earlier today, calling protesters’ demands “legitimate” but ordering them to disperse.

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