Crackdown begins

Iraqi security forces appear to have launched an operation to clear Baghdad’s central squares, which have been home to a months-long national uprising.

Riot police fired tear gas and live rounds on Saturday, forcing hundreds of protesters to retreat from Al Khilani Square that lies about 500 metres north-west of Tahrir Square.

In Tahrir Square, a man yelled “where are you all going?” through a megaphone in an effort to rally panicking protesters, while masked men ran with crates of Molotov cocktails in the direction of gunfire.

Since October, thousands of protesters in the capital and across the south have demanded the resignation of the government and the appointment of a new Cabinet that can address rising unemployment and almost non-existent public services.

The police operation started after populist Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr appeared to withdraw his support for the movement and his supporters began to leave.

There were no immediate reports of casualties on Saturday but at least seven people were wounded in clashes with police earlier in the day, medics and security sources said.

The clashes took place after authorities began removing concrete barriers near Tahrir Square and across one main bridge over the Tigris River in Baghdad.

Protesters spent more than an hour battling a major fire at the entrance of Rafidain Bank on Saadoun Street, whichlinks Tahrir with Al Khilani squares.

The blaze started after security forces set fire to nearby tents. Many others in the protest encampment were angry with Mr Al Sadr.

“I hate that man, I hate him as much as I hated Iranian general Qassem Suleimani,” a tearful Haider Ryman said.

Hassan Riyadh, 23, a student from Khadimiya, said: “It is just us and God left now. If they security forces come to the square then of course there will be violence – you saw what they did in Basra.”

Security forces stormed a number of protests sites in Baghdad, Diwaniyah and Basra on Friday. In Basra, they ripped and set tents on fire, activists said. Videos on social media showed tents burning .

Security forces said they arrested at least 16 protesters in Basra. At least 21 people were wounded in the morning operation, Reuters reported.

By early afternoon, security services had yet to reach Tahrir Square itself. But in the two squares, fear of a final push to clear the streets remained.