This archive report was first published on 25 December 2019.
On December 15, 2019, a car bombing in Diwaniya, Iraq, badly wounded prominent activist Thaer al-Tayeb and fellow activist Ali al-Madani. The attack occurred nearly three months into the unprecedented revolt shaking Iraq, which began in early October.
Thaer al-Tayeb, a prominent voice in the protests, had traveled to Baghdad's Tahrir Square to join the demonstrations. The protests have been fueled by widespread discontent with the political class that has ruled Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion that overthrew dictator Saddam Hussein.
Protesters accuse leaders of enriching themselves and being beholden to neighboring Iran. The demonstrations have continued despite a campaign of intimidation, including targeted killings and abductions of activists, which the United Nations blames on militias.
Following Tayeb's death in hospital, crowds of demonstrators rushed to the local headquarters of pro-Iran militias and torched them. The first building to be set on fire was the headquarters of the powerful Badr organisation, run by parliamentary head of the pro-Iran paramilitaries, Hadi al-Ameri.
Then, protesters torched the headquarters of Assaib Ahl al-Haq, a group whose head, Qais al-Khazali, is subject to sanctions by the United States, accused of 'kidnapping, murder, and torture.'
Protesters also blocked roads with burning car tyres in the southern city of Basra. The rallies have continued, with around 460 protesters killed and 25,000 wounded since the start of the demonstrations.
