Demonstrations in Najaf accompanied by clashes between protesters and security forces have continued since Friday.
Locals of Najaf who took to the streets to demand the Luey el-Yasiri, the governor whom they accuse of “corruption”, to step down for failure to provide basic services to the citizens.
The military forces opened fire on the protesters who wanted to march on the governors building.
More than a hundred people have been reportedly wounded during the protests so far in the clashes as protesters responded to the attacks of the security forces with stones and Molotov cocktails.
Wave of protests in Iraq
Similar protests have been taking place in other provinces of Iraq including Babil, Diwaniyah, Dhi Qar and Muthanna amid massive calls for local governments to resign.
Anti-government protests have been taking place in Iraq since 1 October 2019, when people took to the streets of Baghdad and in the provinces of southern Iraq to express their anger at corruption, high rates of unemployment and dire public services. Large-scale protests in late 2019 led to the resignation of the former prime minister.
Whilst hundreds of people lost their lives and tens of thousands were wounded in the demonstrations that were held mostly in the south, the UN has urged the Iraqi government to stop using violence against protesters, and to pass anti-corruption measures.