Anti-government protests resume in Iraq after bloodshedAnother 30 came in a toll compiled by the Iraqi Human Rights Commission, which did not include the Diwaniyah dead. Activists had urged Iraqis to return to the streets on Friday to mark a year since Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi came to power. It was also the deadline set out by Iraq’s top sectarian cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, for Abdel Mahdi to respond to demonstrators’ demands. “They are all liars – they lie when they promise us jobs and when we protest, they fire tear gas at us!” shouted another. After Iraq violence, hardliners seize advantageIn 2016, supporters of firebrand cleric Moqtada al-Sadr breached the area in response to his calls to hit the streets.

Source: The Express Tribune October 26, 2019 07:30 UTC