Call by religious leader for calm ignored; 5 killed
BAGHDAD — Security forces fired live rounds and tear gas at antigovernment protesters in a central Baghdad square Friday, killing three people, in bloody confrontations that continued despite an influential Shiite leader’s call for calm.
Separately, two protesters were killed and 10 people wounded when a roadside bomb exploded in a central square, officials said. The blast occurred about 500 yards from Tahrir square, the epicenter of antigovernment protests in the capital.
Grand Ayatollah Ali alSistani emphasized support for the demonstrators in his weekly religious sermon, saying none of their demands have been met so far and that electoral reform should be a priority. He 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.
At least 320 people have been killed and thousands have been wounded since the unrest began on Oct. 1, when protesters took to the streets by the tens of thousands outraged over what they said was widespread corruption, lack of job opportunities and poor basic services despite the country’s oil wealth.
Renewed clashes broke out in Khilani square Friday. Soldiers and riot police began firing live rounds and tear gas at hundreds of protesters who removed concrete barriers and streamed into the area. Iraqi security and medical officials said three protesters were killed and at least 25 others wounded.
Demonstrations have mostly been taking place in Baghdad’s
Tahrir and Khilani squares and the predominantly Shiite southern provinces, following tough measures by Iraqi security forces to clamp down on protests.
The powerful cleric alSistani, who’s opinion holds major sway over Iraqis, said a fair electoral law should give voters the ability to replace current political leaders with “new faces.”
“Passing a law that does not give such an opportunity to voters would be unacceptable and useless,” he said.