Protest for jobs

Two people were  killed and more than 200 wounded yesterday, Iraq’s health ministry said, in a protest in Baghdad that security forces dispersed with a volley of gunfire and tear gas. More than 1,000 protesters had descended on the capital to protest against a wide range of grievances including unemployment, government corruption and poor services. The wounded included 160 civilians and 40 security forces, the ministry added.

Police initially opened fire in the air and it was not clear if they subsequently shot into the crowd, but Reuters reporters saw five protesters with blood covering their faces. Ambulances rushed in to transport more wounded. The protesters, numbering about 3,000, had tried to cross a bridge leading into Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign embassies. Security forces, who had blocked roads, used stun grenades and water cannons to push back crowds. Protesters refused to leave and so security forces opened fire.

“This is not a government, it is a bunch of parties and militias who destroyed Iraq,” said one protester, who declined to give his name out of fear of reprisal. Shi’ite Muslim militias known as Popular Mobilisation Forces play a large role in Iraqi politics and have representation in parliament and government.

Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, who chaired the weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday, issued a statement promising jobs for graduates. He instructed the oil ministry and other government bodies to start including a 50 per cent quota for local workers in subsequent contracts with foreign companies.