Protests in Baghdad started up again today after a three-week hiatus.
Demonstrators continued to protest in response to high unemployment, poor public services, and political corruption.
Before the re-start of the protests, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said yesterday, “People would be free to exercise their right to demonstrate at imminent anti-government protests, but violence would not be tolerated”.
Mahdi went on to state, in response to protests earlier in the month, that, “We’ll scale back the salaries of the three presidencies (President, Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament), lawmakers, particular levels, and administrators to half wage. The resignation of the federal government at the moment without offering a constitutional different would lead the nation to chaos”.
Earlier in the month protests in Iraq led to the deaths of over 150 people when police used live ammunition. In response, the government is prohibiting police, who are responding to the new protests, from using live ammunition.
Despite the use of excessive force being prohibited over 20 protestors have been killed in today’s demonstrations so far.