Dozens Injured in Iraq as Anti-government Protests Resume

Dozens of anti-government protesters were wounded in Iraq on Monday after clashing with security forces who were trying to clear blocked roads. The protesters had returned to the streets in Baghdad and other cities across the country after a brief lull in the ongoing unrest that began on October 1 and that have killed more than 450 people since then. The demonstrations, motivated in part by resentment over the heavy influence of Iran on the country’s political elite, quieted following the US drone strike that killed Iranian Quds Force commander Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad earlier this month, but they now seem to be resuming. Protesters in Baghdad’s central Tayaran Square threw firebombs and stones at police, who used tear gas, stun grenades and live rounds in an attempt to quell the violent demonstrations. In other cities, protesters burned tires and blocked major roads. Baghdad police claimed that they had managed to reopen all the roads that were closed by “violent gatherings.”