Iraqi Protesters Seize Ground in Central Baghdad
Demonstrators push closer to Iraq's seat of government
Iraqi riot police fire tear gas while blocking al-Rashid Street during clashes with anti-government demonstrators in al-Rashid Street, in Baghdad, Iraq, Nov. 17, 2019.
One Iraqi protester was killed and more than 30 others were wounded Sunday amid renewed clashes on a key bridge in Baghdad.
The protesters now have control of three bridges crossing the Tigris River toward the heavily fortified Green Zone, the seat of Iraq's government.
The protests that began in October over lack of jobs and public services have grown to include widespread corruption and income inequality. Demonstrators are now demanding the complete overhaul of the government.
The protests have spread out of Baghdad into other cities in southern and central Iraq. Demonstrators across the country are blocking roads and disrupting business.
Security forces have used live ammunition, tear gas and stun grenades against mostly unarmed demonstrators, killing more than 320 people and wounding thousands.
Iraqi security forces have come under heavy criticism for their use of deadly force.
"While the events of the last six weeks are an absolute tragedy, NATO continues to urge restraint to the government of Iraq," Canadian Major General Dany Fortin, the outgoing chief of NATO's Iraq mission, told AFP Sunday.