ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Large crowds flocked to Baghdad’s Tahrir Square on Monday to show solidarity with demonstrators in the southern city of Nasiriyah, which saw 10 protesters killed and 200 injured in bloody clashes with security forces last week.
Riot police intervened to disperse the demonstrators and prevented them from reaching Tahrir Square, using batons and tear gas canisters, according to activists who spoke to Rudaw English. Other demonstrators said that the Jumhuriyah Bridge, which connects Tahrir Square to the Green Zone, had been blocked by security forces completely.
A large number of security forces were deployed to various parts of the city, activist Saif Kareem told Rudaw English.
In Diwaniyah, the capital city of al-Qadisiyyah province, security forces clashed with angry demonstrators, who burned tires in front of the local government building in the city. Security forces tried to disperse them with tear gas, while protesters confronted them with stones, activists said.
The protesters read a statement in front of the local government building, giving officials 72 hours to resign or be dismissed by the federal government, activist Ridha Hassan told Rudaw English.
"Due to the rampant corruption in the local government which the governor, Zuhair al-Shaalan and his deputies are part of, we decided to give the local government 72 hours to resign or be dismissed by the federal government, and the positions shall be occupied by independent figures not affiliated with any political parties," the statement read.
Ten protesters were killed in Nasiriyah last week after demonstrators gathered in front of the local government headquarters, torching the building and demanding the dismissal of Dhi Qar governor Nathem al-Waeli. Security forces opened fire on protesters, and Waeli resigned on Friday.
People gathered as far south as the port city of Basra, where numerous protesters and activists were killed last year, in solidarity with Nasiriyah.
"Basra's people are demanding a public trial of the 'death squad', and confirming the dismissal of the current governor of Basra, Asaad Al-Eidani, in addition to the commander of Basra operations," activist Hussain al-Amari told Rudaw English.
Iraqi authorities arrested four people in Basra in February on suspicion of being behind a series of assassinations of activists and journalists, marking the first known arrests of the kind.
At least 600 people have been killed across Iraq and more than 18,000 injured since the protests began, according to figures released by Amnesty International last year.
