By Eric C. Sigmund
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Tensions between anti-government protesters and security forces came to a boiling point Thursday spurring clashes and leaving at least one dead and 57 injured in Sulaimaniyah. Police forces stormed the streets to disband protesters by shooting into the air. When this failed to disrupt the rallies, police forces turned their weapons on the protesters. Anti-government protests have been conducted in the Kurdish region of Iraq for a few days; surely precipitated by events in North Africa and elsewhere in the region. Protesters attacked the headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the office and house of the regions Governor. Participation in protests grew Thursday after security forces killed three protesters in the city of Kut, one of the poorest cities in the country, the day before.
The streets of many cities have begun to resemble the images of Tahrir Square, now iconic throughout the world as a site of resistance against government oppression. Protesters have set up tents to camp in and control main streets and squares. Protester’s carrying banners “Down with al-Maliki, down with the corruption, down with the thieves” have demanded political reforms to address unchecked corruption, high levels of unemployment and the poor state of government services. They have also called for the release of 45 persons arrested during the opposition rally in Kut.
Some analysts warn that these protests could further divide the country along ethnic lines and risk creating mass violence. Ibrahim Sumaiedi, a political analyst, commented “Society is divided along ethnic and sectarian lines, and everyone is armed. If this happens in other cities in Iraq, we will face not reform or change but something far more devastating.”
Protests have already spread to other cities including Fallujah, Basra and Kirkuk. Municipal leaders are feeling the pressure as citizens have begun demanding their resignation throughout the country. In the Wasit province, over 2000 people took to the streets to demand change. One protester Mahdi al-Yasiry, 37 years-old and unemployed, stated that “Everything in this province is bad. No gas. No electricity. No Jobs. No nothing.” Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has imposed an indefinite curfew on the province and has called for an investigation into the causes of local unrest.
The government has urged citizens to protest peacefully. Prime Minister al-Maliki reported that he was “happy to see the Iraqis are able to protest” but condemned the arson and destruction of government buildings. The Prime Minister acknowledged that Iraqi citizens had a right to complain but contended that Saddam Hussein is to blame for the failures in the government’s social and economic policy.
For more information please see:
CNN World – 1 Killed, 57 injured in Iraqi Kurdish Protests – Feb. 17, 2011
Los Angeles Times – Iraq: At Least Two Protesters Dead – Feb. 17, 2011
New York Times – Protests Spread to More Iraqi Cities – Feb. 17, 2011
UPI – Five Killed in Further Iraq Protests – Feb. 17, 2011
