At least five people have been killed and dozens wounded on Saturday as security forces opened fire at anti-government protesters in Baghdad.

The protests restarted after the government lifted a curfew in the capital and other southern Iraqi cities.

Protesters — many of them university students — are angry over rising unemployment and poor public services, and are demanding an end to official corruption and a change of government.

At least 93 people have been killed and nearly 4,000 injured in four days of clashes between protesters and security forces, according to Iraq's Human Rights Commission.

Read more: Death toll rises amid mass protests in Iraq

Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the top UN official in Iraq, has condemned the violence, saying "this must stop."

"Five days of reported deaths and injuries; this must stop," she said in a tweet on Saturday.

The UN official said she was "deeply saddened by the senseless loss of life."

"I call on all parties to pause and reflect. Those responsible for violence should be held to account. Let the spirit of unity prevail across Iraq," she said.

'Rightful' protests

The rallies that started on Tuesday took Iraqi authorities by surprise. Experts have dubbed them "the most serious challenge" to the government since the defeat of the "Islamic State" (IS) militant group two years ago.

In a speech on Friday, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi said the calls by protesters to put an end to government corruption are justified, as he tried to restore calm after days of civil unrest.

"Your demands for reforms and the fight against corruption have reached us," he said.

"Demands to fight corruption and concern for the future of young people are rightful demands and we will respond to every legitimate request," he added, promising that his government would not make "empty promises."

At the same time, he used his televised address to call on protesters not to follow any "advocates of despair" and not to allow peaceful protests to turn violent.

Violence erupts during protests in Iraq Protests begin as civilians try to enter government property On October 1, thousands of protesters took to the streets in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad to protest the government. Among their demands were reducing unemployment, providing better services and ending corruption. The demonstrations converged on the centrally located Tahrir Square. The protesters also tried to enter the fortified Green Zone, which houses embassies and government buildings.

Violence erupts during protests in Iraq Violent police crackdown Security forces responded to the protesters attempt to enter the Green Zone by blocking roads and using tear gas, stun guns and water canons. After the demonstrators refused to leave, the forces opened fire with rubber bullets and with live fire. More than 200 were reportedly injured and one died. One other person died and dozens more were injured in related protests elsewhere in Iraq.

Violence erupts during protests in Iraq Calls for restraint The embattled Iraqi government has only been in power since October 2018. Following the protests, it increased security in Baghdad. Iraqi President Barham Saleh (pictured above in a photo from March 2019) urged "restraint and respect for the law." The UN's top official in Iraq also expressed "grave concern."

Violence erupts during protests in Iraq More protests, more deaths Protests continued despite the violence. On October 2, fresh demonstrations broke out in downtown Baghdad. Police, who were at the ready with armored vehicles and riot gear, responded with more live fire. By the end of the day, seven people were killed, bringing the total death count over the first two days of October to nine.

Violence erupts during protests in Iraq Protest multiply The demonstrations and riots also spread from Baghdad to Iraq's south. In some places demonstrators set buildings on fire. Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi blamed the violence on "aggressors" and called an emergency national security meeting. While some politicians joined him in criticizing the protesters, others condemned the government's response.

Violence erupts during protests in Iraq More instability ahead The government issued a curfew in Baghdad and three southern cities as standoffs continued nationwide, including at the airport outside the capital. By the end of October 3, at least 25 people had been killed. The border between Iraq and Iran was closed ahead of a religious pilgrimage to the Iraqi city of Karbala. Iran urged its citizens not to travel to Iraq; Bahrain issued a similar warning.

Violence erupts during protests in Iraq Anti-government blogger arrested Come mid-October, determined protesters set fires and closed streets. Meanwhile, Shujaa al-Khafaji, an Iraqi blogger, had been detained, apparently over his coverage of the unrest. A relative of the outspoken writer, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said heavily armed masked gunmen snatched him from his apartment in a dawn raid.

Violence erupts during protests in Iraq No end in sight as death toll rises As the month neared its end, there was no conclusion to the angry protests. Prime Minister Adel Abdel-Mahdi promised reforms, but still civilians gathered in Baghdad's Tahrir Square waving Iraqi flags and chanting slogans demanding the resignation of the government. More deaths ensued as unrest escalated both in the capital and in the mainly Shiite-populated southern provinces. Author: Cristina Burack



Anger against all politicians

The Iraqi parliament was due to meet on Saturday, but firebrand cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's bloc of 54 lawmakers and other factions boycotted the session.

Al-Sadr, a former militia leader, threw his weight behind the demonstrations on Friday, supporting the calls for Abdul-Mahdi's resignation.

But many young protesters insist their movement is not linked to any politician or a religious group.

"These men don't represent us. We don't want parties anymore. We don't want anyone to speak in our name," one protester told AFP news agency late Friday.

"If living conditions don't improve, the protests will come back even worse," Abu Salah, a 70-year-old resident of Baghdad, told AFP.

Read more: Iraq anti-government protests leave two dead, hundreds wounded

Watch video 02:01 Share Protests in Iraq spread Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3QhOO Iraq: 'People feel they've been robbed'

Slow response

In an apparent concession to protesters, a governmental anti-corruption body, the Higher Council for Corruption Combat, has ordered the dismissal of 1,000 employees at state institutions who have been convicted of wasting or embezzling public money, according to the official INA news agency.

Abdul-Mahdi also pledged to try and pass a law granting a basic income to poor families, while admitting that there was no "magic solution" to the graft and poor governance rampant in the country.

Sarmad al-Bayati, an Iraqi analyst, said the prime minister should have "sacked leading politicians accused of corruption."

According to the World Bank, the country has a youth unemployment of around 25%. Iraq is ranked as the 12th most corrupt country in the world by Transparency International.

Abdul-Mahdi's government, which has been in office for a year, has failed to bring stability and order to the war-ravaged country as it grapples with the problems posed by an ongoing terrorist campaign by the extremist IS group. Iraq declared victory over the group in 2017, but it continues to be active in parts of the country.

shs/sms (AP, AFP)

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