This archive report was first published on 2 October 2019.
On October 1, 2019, protests erupted in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, marking a significant challenge to Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi's government. The protests were sparked by widespread frustration with corruption, unemployment, and failing public services.
Abdallah Walid, a 27-year-old protester, expressed the sentiments of many when he said, "We want jobs and better public services. We've been demanding them for years and the government has never responded."
Protesters took to the streets in Tahrir Square, Al-Shaab in north Baghdad, and Zaafaraniya in the south, despite security forces sealing off the iconic Tahrir Square. Riot police used tear gas, live rounds, and water cannons to disperse the crowds.
Medical sources reported that about a dozen people were admitted to hospitals across Baghdad, most suffering from tear gas inhalation. The violence left one dead and 200 wounded in Baghdad, and another protester dead in the south, according to health officials.
President Barham Saleh condemned the bloodshed, urging "restraint and the respect for the law." The UN's top official in Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, expressed "grave concern" and urged authorities to "exercise restraint in their handling of the protests."
