Protests in Iraq Leave One Dead

Reports indicate that on Friday, July 19, protests were held in southern Iraqi cities against shortages of services, water, and electricity. Meanwhile, police say a protester was shot dead in Diwaniya by a member of the Iran-backed Badr militia. According to Reuters, police sources report that two others were injured during the protesters' stone-throwing at the Badr militia building. A doctor at the Diwaniya hospital told Reuters, 'The body of a protester who was shot in the head has been brought to the hospital.' The report states that dozens of Iraqi security forces were injured during the protests in southern Iraqi cities. Reuters notes that protesters are not only expressing dissatisfaction with government inefficiency but also objecting to the role of militia groups like Badr. Thousands protested in Baghdad on Friday, calling for the dissolution of political parties in the country. About three thousand gathered in front of the Basra governorate to protest the government's inability to provide services. Haider al-Abadi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, who is seeking to form the next government, promised to address the issues of lack of clean drinking water, electricity, and waste collection in Basra during his visit. However, Khalid Hassan, a Basra citizen, told Reuters, 'They only make false promises, but we will not remain silent anymore.' The unrest of the past two weeks, which began in Basra in protest against high unemployment rates, inflation, and inadequate public services, has spread to other cities in Iraq, such as Baghdad, Najaf, and Karbala, as well as the centers of the Maysan and Dhi Qar provinces. Several have been killed in these protests. Iraq has been engaged in a battle with the Islamic State (ISIS) for three years, and last year, Haider al-Abadi announced the defeat of ISIS in the country. However, inefficiency, administrative corruption, and very low levels of public services have added to dissatisfaction in the country. Haider al-Abadi did not achieve a decisive victory in the elections two months ago, but a coalition led by Muqtada al-Sadr, a radical Shia cleric, won a significant victory with an anti-corruption platform. According to official statistics, the unemployment rate in Iraq is nearly 11 percent, and this rate is double among the youth. About 60 percent of Iraq's population is under 24 years old.