Protesters gathered in central Baghdad on Friday in the largest anti-government protest since demonstrations broke out a month ago.
Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Tahrir Square, many of whom waved Iraqi flags and demanded the resignation of the government and the dissolution of Parliament.
An estimated 350 people were injured during Friday's demonstration after security forces fired rubber bullets and gas grenades to push protesters away from bridges leading to the Green Zone, the seat of the Iraqi government.
Several thousand protesters also blocked roads leading to the country's main port in the Gulf of Umm Qasr, preventing trucks with goods from entering or leaving the area. Security forces used live ammunition and tear gas against the crowd overnight in an attempt to clear the blockade.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Iraqi government must heed the "legitimate demands" of the protesters, adding that the country's official investigation into deadly violence during the first protests detected lacked sufficient credibility.".
Since the first wave of protests began in early October, at least 250 people have been killed and about 10,000 injured by security forces.
Anger is directed at Iran
Demonstrators in Baghdad on Friday also sharply criticized Iran's involvement in Iraqi affairs, as Iraq's top clergy warned foreign officials against interfering in the protests.
In his weekly sermon, influential Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani said that Iraq should not be dragged into "the abyss of civil strife."
"No one person or group, no party with a specific point of view, no regional or international actor can capture the will of the Iraqi people and impose their will on them," he said in an apparent reference to Iran.
What began as protests against corruption, lack of jobs, and poor access to electricity and clean water have now escalated into calls for a restructuring of Iraq's political system, which has existed since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003.
What has made the protests unique in Iraq's history is that public anger is directed not only at the political elite, but also at the religious elite.
"No one represents the people, neither Iran, nor the parties, nor the clergy. We want our country back," Ali Ghazi, a protester in Baghdad, told AFP on Thursday. The 1xbet promo code can be used when registering a new account at 1xBet.com to get the biggest available welcome bonus. 1xBet offers online sports betting, casino games and poker to players in many countries around the world. This is one of the most popular global betting sites in the world!
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