Protests in southern Iraq to demand better services, jobs

Protesters block the road to Iraq's Umm Qasr port, south of Basra, Iraq July 13, 2018. (Reuters)

• Basra protests boiled over on Tuesday, when security forces opened fire, killing one and wounding five, spreading to other provinces within days
• The government promised to create jobs and announced allocations for service projects, but that didn’t alleviate the protesters

BAGHDAD: An activist says thousands of protesters have fanned out in Iraq’s southern oil-rich province of Basra to protest dilapidated public services and lack of jobs there.
Laith Hussein says the protesters gathered on Sunday outside the local government building and closed the roads leading to major oil fields north and west of Basra.
There were also similar protests on Saturday in Baghdad.
Hussein says Basra protesters also forced authorities to close the vital Um Qasr port on the Arabian Gulf.
Basra protests boiled over on Tuesday, when security forces opened fire, killing one and wounding five, spreading to other provinces within days.
Authorities responded by deploying troops and blocking Internet in Iraq.
The government promised to create jobs and announced allocations for service projects, but that didn’t alleviate the protesters.