ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi authorities declared a city-wide curfew from 3 p.m. (1200 GMT) to quell protests in Basra, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry said at a news conference on Thursday.

Seven protesters have died in Iraq’s second biggest city in recent days as protesters, angry over electricity outages, water contamination, a lack of jobs and proper government services, clashed violently with security forces.