Protesters wage civil disobedience in Iraq’s Basra
Sun 03 November 2019:
Iraqi demonstrators blocked major roads in Basra on Sunday, as protests continued in the southern city for economic reforms and overhaul of the political system.
The escalation is part of a civil disobedience campaign waged by protesters to pile pressure on the Iraqi government to fulfill their demands.
“The civil disobedience is a response to failure of the government and parliament to achieve our demands,” Jasim al-Edani, a protester, told Anadolu Agency.
He said protesters sealed off roads in western Basra, preventing employees from going to work.
In Baghdad, security forces warned demonstrators against approaching a cement barrier near the fortified Green Zone.
A second wave of anti-government protests rocked several Iraqi provinces last week against deep-seated corruption, unemployment and lack of basic services.
At least 260 people have been killed and 12,000 others injured in the unrest, according to the High Commission of Human Rights.
Anger towards Iran
Many see the political class as subservient to one or another of Baghdad’s main allies, the United States and Iran, who use Iraq as a proxy in a struggle for regional influence.
“We don’t want anyone interfering in our affairs, not Saudi Arabia, not Turkey, not Iran, not America. It’s our country, our demands are clear,” said protester Ahmed Abu Mariam.
The root cause of grievances is the sectarian power-sharing system of governance introduced in Iraq after 2003.
“We want an end to sectarian power-sharing, jobs should not be doled out based on whether you are Sunni or Shi’ite. We want all these parties gone and replaced with a presidential system,” said 22-year-old law student Abdulrahman Saad who has been camped out in Tahrir Square for nine days.
Iraq’s official rights watchdog, the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights, said authorities were violating human rights and using excessive force against protesters by firing rubber bullets and tear gas canisters, which have killed scores after striking them directly in the head and chest.
A government committee investigating violence from Oct. 1-7 itself found that 149 civilians were killed because security forces used excessive force and live fire to quell protests.
“A lack of basic services and jobs, accusations of foreign meddling by the US and Iran and alleged government corruption are big themes that have emerged in these protests,” Ghoneim said, adding that protesters at the port were carrying signs expressing anger towards Iran.
Anger has been building in Iraq in recent years due to rising unemployment and rampant corruption. Many people in the country have limited access to basic services such as electricity and clean water.
According to World Bank figures, Iraq’s youth unemployment is around 25%. It is also ranked the 12th most-corrupt country in the world by several transparency organizations.
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