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Iraqi Demonstrators Burn Parliamentary Office in Basra

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BASRA – Protesters in the city of Basra, Iraq south, set fire to the local parliament office on Friday. The action was carried out when security forces fired bullets directly into the air to disperse them.

Quoted from ReutersOn Saturday (22/8/2020), protesters gathered to demand that the Iraqi parliament sack the governor of the province after two activists were killed and others injured in three separate attacks by unidentified gunmen this week. Security forces opened fire when protesters threw petrol bombs.

Activist Reham Yacoub, who led several women’s rallies in the past, was killed on Wednesday and three others were injured when gunmen opened fire on their car.

It was the third incident this week in which gunmen targeted an anti-government political activist. Earlier an activist was killed and four others had their car fired on in separate incidents.

The wave of violence began when activist Tahseen Osama was murdered last week, sparking street demonstrations that lasted three days. Security forces opened fire directly at protesters who threw stones and petrol bombs at the governor’s house and blocked several main roads.(Read: Iraqi police use hunting rifles to fire on demonstrators)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi fired Basra’s police and national security chief on Monday and ordered an investigation into the violence. The decision calmed the protesters until Yacoub’s killing brought them back on the streets.

Kadhimi took office in April, becoming the third head of Iraqi government in a chaotic 10-week period after months of deadly protests in the country, which have been weakened by decades of sanctions, war, corruption and economic challenges.(Read: Trump: Coalition Forces Leave Iraq in 3 Years)

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