Iraqi protesters attack Iran consulate in Karbala

Anti-government protesters continue to shut down roads and government offices in the Iraqi capital, escalating a month-long string of rallies demanding political change.

Iraqi demonstrators block the road during ongoing anti-government protests in Baghdad, Iraq. November 3, 2019.
Reuters

Iraqi demonstrators block the road during ongoing anti-government protests in Baghdad, Iraq. November 3, 2019.

Dozens of Iraqi protesters attacked the Iranian consulate in the Shia holy city of Karbala on Sunday, scaling the concrete barriers ringing the building, bringing down an Iranian flag and replacing it with the Iraqi flag, eyewitnesses said. 

Security forces fired in the air to disperse the protesters who threw stones and burned tires around the building on a street corner in Karbala south of Baghdad. The street clashes appeared to continue well into the early hours of Monday, based on social media reports.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in the incident, which comes amid ongoing protests in the capital Baghdad and majority-Shia provinces in the south.

However, locals report that four protesters have been killed outside the consulate, the courtyard of which was seen on fire in some social media videos.

More than 250 people have been killed since the protests in Baghdad and the south of the country started in early October, driven by discontent over economic hardship and corruption.

Iraq's Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi appealed on Sunday to protesters to help restore normal life across the country and said the unrest was costing the economy "billions of dollars".

In a statement published on Sunday evening, Abdul Mahdi said the protests which “shook the political system” have achieved their purpose and must stop impacting the country’s trade and economic activities.

"Threatening the oil interests and blocking roads leading to Iraq's ports is causing big losses exceeding billions of dollars," said Abdul Mahdi, warning that unrest was pushing up prices of goods.

The protests are directed at a postwar political system and a class of elite leaders that Iraqis accuse of pillaging the country's wealth while the country grows poorer. But protesters have also directed their rage at neighbouring Iran and the powerful Iraqi Shia militias tied to it.

The anti-government protests in Karbala, Baghdad, and cities across southern Iraq have often turned violent, with security forces opening fire and protesters torching government buildings and headquarters of Iran-backed militias.

The protests have grown and demonstrators are now calling for sweeping changes, not just the government's resignation.

Tens of thousands of protesters have gathered in Baghdad's central Tahrir Square and across southern Iraq in recent days, calling for the overhaul of the political system established after the 2003 US-led invasion. Protesters have also taken over a large tower in the square that was abandoned after it was damaged in the war.

Thousands of students have skipped classes to take part in the street rallies, blaming the political elite for widespread corruption, high unemployment and poor public services.

Earlier on Sunday, protesters blocked roads around their main protest site with burning tires and barbed wire, unfurling a banner at one roadblock reading: "Roads closed by order of the people." They appeared to be borrowing a tactic from Lebanon, where similar anti-government demonstrations have been underway since October 17, and have repeatedly blocked major roads in order to ramp up pressure on authorities.

Security forces have fired tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition at the protesters, killing at least 256 people in two waves of demonstrations since early October.

Since the protests restarted on October 25 after a brief hiatus, there have been near-continuous clashes on two bridges leading to the heavily fortified Green Zone, the headquarters of the government and home to several foreign embassies.

In his statement, Abdul Mahdi differentiated between peaceful protesters, who he said had turned the demonstrations into "popular festivals" that bring the nation together, and "outlaws" who he said had used the demonstrators as "human shields" while attacking security forces.

The prime minister had met with top security officials late Saturday.

The Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights meanwhile said Siba al Mahdawi, an activist and physician who has taken part in the protests, was abducted on Saturday night by an unknown group. The semi-official body called on the government and the security forces to reveal her whereabouts. Al Mahdawi was one of several doctors who have volunteered to provide medical aid to the protesters.

Last week, President Barham Salih said Abdul Mahdi is willing to resign once political leaders agree on a replacement.

He also called for new election law and said he would approve early elections once it is enacted. In a meeting with the heads of trade unions on Sunday, Salih said the new election law would be submitted to parliament this week.

Abdul Mahdi's statement did not say anything about resigning, and even if the new electoral law is quickly approved, the process of holding elections and forming a new government could take several months. Meanwhile, the protests have only grown since the president's initial announcement.

Iraq is governed by a sectarian political system that distributes power and high offices among the Shia majority, Sunnis and Kurds. It holds regular elections, but they are dominated by sectarian religious parties, many of which have close ties to Iran. The political parties divvy up ministries and then hand out jobs to their supporters, contributing to a bloated public sector that is unable to provide reliable services.

More than 15 years after the US-led invasion that overthrew Saddam Hussein, Baghdad and other cities still see frequent power cuts, the tap water is undrinkable and public infrastructure is crumbling. 

Few Iraqis have seen any benefit from the country's oil wealth, despite it being an OPEC member with the fourth-largest proven reserves in the world.

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