Iraqi agitations continue, as the death toll crosses 100

The clashes between anti-government protestors and the Iraqi security forces have reached their seventh day of unrest today. The death toll has now passed 100, and over 6,000 people have been injured. 

Protestors and demonstrators are voicing dissent, against the government led by Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, on the grounds of allegations of corruption and high levels of unemployment. Although the government announced reforms to address both these issues, protestors have not been satisfied. 

The biggest concern for the government - which came into power a year ago - is that this situation of unrest could pose a serious security risk. The Islamic State and other influential militia groups are constantly on the fringe, looking for a spiral of violence that could give them an opportunity to enter the mainstream. 

It’s been two years since Iraq announced the successful defeat of ISIS. Although the security situation has marginally improved, rebuilding has been slow. Infrastructure still remains largely destroyed, jobs are still scarce, and corruption is rampant. 

This bleak state of affairs is what sparked the protests. Although they have hit many parts of the country, they do not appear to be organised by a single political group, and have caught the government by surprise. 

The protests, which have hit many parts of the country, do not appear to be organised by a single political group and seemed to catch the government by surprise.

At an emergency cabinet meeting on Saturday night, the government agreed a 17-point plan to increase subsidized housing for the poor, stipends for the unemployed and training programs and small loans initiatives for unemployed youth.

The families of those killed during demonstrations this week will also receive handouts and care usually granted to members of the security forces killed during war, it said.

"Amid all of this, I swear to God that my only concern is for the casualties," Abdul Mahdi was quoted by state television as saying during the cabinet meeting.

Details of the plan were disseminated on social media, but there was a continued internet outage across most of the country.

CLASHES OVERNIGHT

Twenty-six people were killed in clashes on Saturday and Sunday in Baghdad, the police and medical sources said.   

Police also fired live rounds during clashes in the southern city of Nasiriya on Saturday, wounding 24 people including seven police, according to security, hospital and morgue sources. One person was killed on Saturday during demonstrations in the southern city of Diwaniya.

Protesters also torched the headquarters of several political parties in Nasiriya, police said. These included the headquarters of the powerful Dawa party that dominated Iraq's government from 2003 until 2018 elections.

Calm returned for hours on Sunday to heavily guarded Baghdad and southern provinces where there have been heavy clashes in the past few days. But violence broke out again in eastern Baghdad after nightfall. 

There were small protests that dispersed without violent outbreaks in Diwaniya and in the holy city of Najaf. 

"Security forces did all they could to preserve the safety of the protesters and security personnel," Interior Ministry spokesman Major General Saad Maan said. "We express our deep regret over the bloodshed."

Maan dismissed talk of clashes between security forces and  demonstrators, saying there were "malicious forces" who targeted both groups. But Iraq's semi-official High Commission for Human Rights heavily criticised the police response. 

"There is no justification for the use of live bullets against peaceful demonstrators," Aqeel al-Musawi, the commission's head, said in a statement. "The government has a duty to protect the demonstrators and enable them to express their legitimate demands smoothly."

FEARS OF ESCALATION

Anger among the protesters runs deep, and the government faces opposition among parliamentary blocs that have begun boycotting legislative meetings. 

Influential Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who has a mass popular following and controls a large chunk of parliament, has demanded the government resign and snap elections be held. At least one other major parliamentary grouping allied itself with Sadr against the government.

The governor of Baghdad province, whose position is not very influential, resigned on Sunday after accusations by protesters that he failed to improve conditions in the city.

But powerful political parties that have dominated Iraqi politics since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and toppling of dictator Saddam Hussein have not indicated they are willing to relinquish the institutions they control.

The violence continued as people began journeying across southern Iraq for the Shi'ite pilgrimage of Arbaeen, which is expected to attract 20 million worshippers.