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2015–2018 Iraqi protests

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2018 Iraqi protests
Part of 2018–19 Arab protests
Scenes from the streets of Iraq during demonstrations across the country in 2016
Date15 July 2018 — 7 September 2018
Location
Iraq
Caused byUnemployment and poverty
Poor basic services
State corruption
Energy crisis[1]
Sectarianism[citation needed]
Growth of ISIL[2]
Dismissal of army commander Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi[3]
MethodsDemonstrations
StatusOver
Parties

Sadrist Movement
White Vans Armed Group[4]
Ahmad al-Hassan followers[5]
Basra Tribesmen[6]

Lead figures

Muqtada al-Sadr[8]
Ahmad al-Hassan
Makki Yassir al-Kaabi †[9]
Sheikh Wessam al-Gharrawi †[10]

The 2018 Iraqi protests over deteriorating economic conditions and state corruption started in July 2018 in Baghdad and other major Iraqi cities, mainly in the central and southern provinces.

2018 protests

On 15 July 2018, protests erupted in southern and central Iraq, with protesters burning the headquarters of Kataib Hezbollah in Najaf and sacking the city's airport. Protesters in southern Iraq have blockaded the border with Kuwait and occupied several oilfields. In response to the mass unrest, flights from Iran to Najaf were diverted,[11] and the Iraqi Army redeployed forces in the north that were engaging ISIL and the White Flags group to the south to counter the rise in unrest.[12] During protests in Basra two demonstrators were killed by Iraq's security apparatus, and protesters in Sadr City stormed the headquarters of the Iranian backed Badr Organization.[13] On the next day, protesters in Basra began burning pictures of Khomeini and continued to storm the political offices of the Islamic Dawa Party, Badr Organization, and the National Wisdom Movement, the protesters also demonstrated against Iranian drainage of the Shatt al-Arab waterway, which has caused water in southern Iraq to become saline.[14][15] The government started to crack down on the increasing violence during the protests, and there were eight reported deaths among the protesters.[16] On 21 July, a Badr Organization militiaman killed a 20-year-old protester in the city of Al Diwaniyah.[17][18][19]

On 3 September, Iraqi security forces killed Makki Yassir al-Kaabi, an Iraqi tribesman protesting near the provincial capital in Basra; in response to his death many tribesmen from Banu Ka'b have threatened to take up arms against the Iraqi government.[9] A few days later, at least 7 people were killed and 30 wounded after a protest about the lack of public services in Basra was fired upon by security forces.[20] On 8 September, an unknown group fired 4 Katyusha rockets at Basra Airport, no injuries or casualties were reported. The US consulate was situated at the airport, and it expressed concern for the developments in Iraq. No one had claimed responsibility for the rocket attack.[21]

In October, two bodies of activists were found in Basra and suspected to be victims of assassinations carried out by Iranian-backed militias.[22]

On 17 November, Sheikh Wessam al-Gharrawi, a leading figure during the protests against deteriorating public utilities and water contamination, was killed by unknown attackers outside his house in central Basra.[10]

On 5 December, protesters demonstrating in Basra wore high-visibility vests, inspired by the French yellow vests movement. They demanded more job opportunities and better services. Iraqi security forces responded by firing live ammunition at the protesters, but no injuries were reported.[23]

2019 protests

Main article: 2019 Iraqi protests

On 20 June, Basra's summer protest returned as demonstrators gathered outside the city's new administrative headquarters to vent their anger about poor basic services and unemployment. The old headquarters were burnt down during 2018's months-long protest. Basra and the surrounding region produce about 90 per cent of the country's oil wealth but most of its residents have not benefited from it. Protesters blamed the Basra's authorities for the city's problems, from a lack of job opportunities to unreliable and poor public utilities. Riot police were deployed at the scene but the protest remained peaceful.[24]

See also

References

  1. ^ Williams, Jennifer (7 September 2018). "The violent protests in Iraq, explained". Vox. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  2. ^ "تنسيقيّات البصرة تُعلًّق التظاهرات وتطالب بملاحقة مندسّين من ولاية الجنوب". almadapaper.net. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  3. ^ "Iraq's government seems powerless to halt protests in its heartland". The Economist. 6 October 2019.
  4. ^ Supported by: Baath Party "In Basra, PM Abadi condemns 'unacceptable' Iran consulate attack". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  5. ^ BarmajaGroup.com. "قناة العهد الفضائية - لجنة ميسان الأمنية .. أتباع اليماني هم من هاجم الحقول والمنشآت في البصرة وميسان". www.alahad.tv.iq. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  6. ^ نت, العربية (2 September 2018). "لمواجهة رصاص الجيش العراقي.. عشائر البصرة ترفع السلاح". العربية نت. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  7. ^ "ستوديو الناس - القوات الأمنية تقتل المتظاهر"مكي الكعبي" وعشيرته تتوعد بالرد - تقرير: صباح الجاف". Retrieved 15 February 2019 – via www.youtube.com.
  8. ^ "العراق: مقتدى الصدر ينضم إلى آلاف المتظاهرين في النجف". فرانس 24 / France 24. 29 October 2019.
  9. ^ a b Robin-D'Cruz, Benedict (11 September 2018). "Analysis: How violent protests in Iraq could escalate". Retrieved 2 October 2019 – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  10. ^ a b "Prominent protest figure in Iraq's Basra assassinated - Iraqi News". Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  11. ^ "Iran flights to Iraq's Najaf redirected to Baghdad: Iranian state TV". Reuters. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  12. ^ "Mass protests sweep Iraq, target pro-Iran militias and parties". Jerusalem Post. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  13. ^ "Two protesters killed in clashes with Iraqi police as unrest spreads in south". ABC News. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  14. ^ "VIDEO: Iraqi protesters burn pictures of Khomeini in Basra". english.alarabiya.net. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  15. ^ "Iraqi protesters burn pictures of Khomeini in Basra". Al-Arabiya. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  16. ^ Turak, Natasha (19 July 2018). "More turmoil in Iraq as deadly protests ravage oil-rich south". CNBC. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  17. ^ Catherine, John (21 July 2018). "Badr militia security guard kills Iraqi protester". Kurdistan24. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  18. ^ "Two killed in protests on Friday: Iraq health ministry". Rudaw. 21 July 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  19. ^ "One Killed as Iraqi Protests Rage on". Asharq al-Awsat. 20 July 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  20. ^ "Seven dead, more than 30 wounded in southern Iraq's rally". Yeni Şafak (in Turkish). Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  21. ^ Kurdistan24. "Katyusha rockets fired at Iraq's Basra airport". Kurdistan24. Retrieved 15 February 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 9 October 2018 suggested (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  23. ^ "'Yellow Jackets' inspire protesters thousands of miles from France". NBC News. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  24. ^ "Southern Iraq: Basra protests resume as temperatures and anger rise". The National. 20 June 2019.

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