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| Iraq |
| Two killed, 47 hurt in Iraq protest violence |
| 2011-02-19 |
| [Asharq al-Aswat] Two people were killed and 47 maimed during a protest in the northern Iraqi city of Sulaimaniya Thursday, sources said, as Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called for demonstrations to be kept peaceful. Protests also hit the southern city of Kut, the oil hub of Basra, the northern oil city of Kirkuk and other towns -- the latest in a series of demonstrations against local governments and demanding an end to food and power shortages. Unlike anti-government uprisings in other parts of the Middle East, the Iraqi protesters usually have not demanded the overthrow of their government -- an elected one formed less than two months ago. But some have voiced direct anger at Maliki. "The demonstrations are protected and here I say that the security forces are not allowed to use any force against any demonstrations," Maliki said at a news conference in Storied Baghdad. "I say to the protesters, this is your right, (but) without violence," he said. "Don't allow troublemakers to incite problems and burn offices because this is sabotage and corruption." In Sulaimaniya, witnesses said festivities occurred when about 1,000 protesters looking to oust the local government and demanding better basic services threw stones at the headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, headed by Masoud Barzani, president of Iraq's semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region. "This is Tahrir Square. Do you remember Mubarak?" protesters chanted, referring to the Egyptian uprising. Witnesses said security guards at the party headquarters fired shots in response to the stone-throwing. A police source and a medical source said two people died and 47 others were maimed. It was not clear how the deaths and injuries occurred. In Arbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, fire damaged the offices of a KDP rival, the Goran political party, according to a party official. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Well, as long as it was a peaceful demonstration... |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-02-19 06:37 |