Iraqi Protests Continue Despite State-Sponsored Violence
The Iraqi flag has served as a symbol of hope in the months-long protests. (Needpix)
Gunmen killed two Iraqi protesters and wounded several more in the southern city of Nassiriya on January 26. This attack marks the latest episode of violence as demonstrations continue in several Iraqi cities, including Baghdad. Less than one week prior, conflicts resulted in the deaths of five more protesters.
Demonstrators are calling for the removal of what they see as a corrupt, Iran-backed ruling elite and an end to foreign interference in Iraq. Since the movement began in October 2019, more than 500 protestors have been killed by Iraqi security forces. Human rights groups continue to accuse security forces of using excessive force to quell protests. Ambassadors from 16 countries have condemned the government’s use of live fire and called for an investigation into the deaths.
The U.S. drone strike on January 3 that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi Commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis has only escalated regional tensions. Since the strike, Iran has responded with missile attacks of its own on two military bases in Iraq, effectively ending a several week period of calm. Calls to end foreign interference in Iran have also mounted.
Iraqi security forces in Nassiriya wounded at least another 75 protesters after they refused to abandon three key bridges that demonstrators had blocked. Adding to the chaos, unknown gunmen killed two protestors and set fire to protesters’ tents before fleeing the area. Baghdad has also become a hotbed for violence as protestors throwing stones and Molotov cocktails clash with security forces armed with tear gas and guns.
The conflict escalated further when rockets struck the U.S. embassy in Baghdad on January 27. A security source reported that one rocket directly impacted the embassy cafeteria during dinner, while two others struck nearby. At least one person was wounded, making this strike the first missile attack against an embassy compound to injure staff. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said, “Secretary [Mike Pompeo] noted that we view last night’s attack on the Embassy as an attempt to distract Iraqi and international attention away from the brutal suppression of peaceful Iraqi protesters by Iran and its proxies.”
As Iraqis continue to demand dramatic societal overall, not the least of which includes free elections, the escalating protests pose an unprecedented challenge to Iraq’s ruling class. Despite increasingly violent and indiscriminate retaliations by state security forces, however, demonstrators remain unwavering in their efforts. In fact, the bloodshed seems only to have emboldened protesters as demonstrations continue to occur.