Protesters shot as top cleric calls for reform

Iraqi security forces fired live ammunition and tear gas in renewed clashes with antigovernment protesters in central Baghdad yesterday, killing three people, while Iraq’s top Shiite religious leader warned the government to heed calls for sweeping political reforms.

Separately, a bomb placed under a car exploded near a central square, killing two protesters and wounding 10, police and hospital officials said.

The blast occurred between Tayaran and Tahrir squares. The latter is the epicentre of antigovernment protests in Baghdad. It was the first such incident in the capital since the demonstrations began in early October.

Earlier, protesters repeatedly regrouped from under clouds of tear gas as they fought to tear down a concrete wall blocking access to Khilani Square. Security forces erected the barrier to keep the demonstrations from crossing a bridge that leads to the fortified Green Zone, the seat of government and many foreign embassies.

At least 320 people have been killed and thousands wounded since the unrest began on October 1, when protesters took to the streets in their tens of thousands. They are outraged by what they say is widespread corruption, a lack of job opportunities and poor basic services despite the country’s oil wealth.

Hours before the clashes erupted, Grand Ayatollah Ali alSistani emphasised his support for the demonstrators in his weekly Friday sermon, saying none of their demands had been met so far and that electoral reform should be a priority.

The senior cleric called for a new election law that would restore public confidence in the system and give voters the opportunity to bring ‘‘new faces’’ to power.

However, Iraqi authorities appeared determined to disperse the protesters and keep them confined to a shrinking space in the capital’s centre.

The atmosphere at Tahrir Square was a striking contrast with the violence nearby. Baghdad’s main square has been transformed into a carnival-like hub where protesters gather around music, art installations, and pop-up food and street shops.

The demonstrations have been kept up for weeks in central Baghdad and the mostly Shiite southern provinces, despite the clampdown by Iraqi security forces.

Al-Sistani, whose opinion holds major sway over many Iraqis, said a fair electoral law should give voters the ability to replace current political leaders.

He said corruption among the ruling elite had reached ‘‘unbearable limits’’ while large segments of the population were finding it increasingly impossible to meet basic needs.