The death toll in Baghdad's anti-government protests has risen to 12 after the authorities imposed at dawn an open-ended curfew as the city braces itself for the third day of demonstrations, Iraq's High Commission for Human Rights said Thursday
DAMASCUS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd October, 2019) The death toll in Baghdad's anti-government protests has risen to 12 after the authorities imposed at dawn an open-ended curfew as the city braces itself for the third day of demonstrations, Iraq's High Commission for Human Rights said Thursday.
The demonstrations have been rocking Baghdad since Tuesday and have turned violent as security officers try to disperse the protests. By Wednesday, at least three people had been reported killed in the protests over the two-day period.
"A total of 11 demonstrators and one law enforcement officer were killed during the protests. At least 650 people have been injured, including 87 security personnel," the head of the commission, Ali Bayati, said.
The commission head added that a total of 122 people had been detained in the protests, but that the majority of them had already been released.
According to media, Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abd Mahdi called an emergency security meeting to address the situation. The United Nations has, meanwhile, urged the authorities to exercise restraint and ensure the safety of peaceful protesters.
Protesters are demanding an improvement of living standards; the settling of the healthcare, education and employment crises; and an end to corruption. They took to the streets of Baghdad on Tuesday, and what started as peaceful protests soon escalated into clashes after police forces used tear gas and water cannons on the demonstrators. That day, at least two protesters were killed and 200 injured.
On Wednesday, the demonstrations spilled from Baghdad to several other provinces. At least 15 people were wounded and at least one had died, according to several sources.
