Three people killed in protests by Iraqi security forces

Three protesters were killed on Monday in the Iraqi capital, medics told AFP, as demonstrators across the country ramped up pressure on the government to implement long-awaited reforms.
According to Al Jazeera, two were killed by live ammunition and the third died after a tear gas canister pierced his neck, the medics said.
The Iraqi government did not confirm the deaths. Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid, reporting from the Baghdad demonstration, said activists took video showing seriously wounded protesters being carried away after the fierce clashes.
Demonstrators a week ago gave the government until Monday to act on their demands, which include the holding of a snap poll under a new electoral law, the appointment of an independent prime minister and the prosecution of officials suspected of corruption.
Additionally, based on authorities’ statement, 13 protestors and 14 policemen were wounded as well, Hungarian News Agency (MTI) reports.
The uprising began on October 1 when thousands of Iraqis took to the streets to decry rampant government corruption, poor public services, and a scarcity of jobs. Protesters are also demanding an end to Iraq’s quota-based political system, introduced after the US-led invasion in 2003.
Hundreds of people have been killed since the protests first erupted, with rights groups accusing security forces of using excessive force against the demonstrators.
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Photo: Jeremy Weate from Abuja, Nigeria – Swords of Qādisīyah (Wikimedia Commons)