Iraq anti-government protests: Death toll rises to at least 40 as PM urges calm
Locals say social media services have been blocked and the internet cut as authorities try to clamp down on the unrest.
Friday 4 October 2019 13:31, UK
At least 40 people have now been killed after days of anti-government protests in Iraq, say officials.
The highest number of deaths is in the southern city of Nasiriyah, where at least 25 people have died, while at least 16 have been killed in Baghdad.
Live bullets and tear gas have been used by security forces and a curfew imposed in Baghdad after the unrest began on Tuesday.
People have been venting their frustration over poor local services such as water and electricity, a lack of jobs and claims of corruption.
A child was among those killed on Wednesday and hundreds have been injured, including police officers.
People in Baghdad said authorities had shut down social media sites such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter - used to organise the protests - while the internet was out of action in much of the country.
Heavily armed security forces and riot police blocked roads in the capital, putting up barbed wire in places, as protesters set fire to tyres and bins.
Iraq's prime minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi, also imposed a curfew in the capital.
On Friday, he used a TV message to the nation to urge protesters to end their demonstrations and said their "legitimate demands" had been heard .
He said there was "no magic solution" to Iraq's problems but promised to work on laws such as giving people a basic income and fighting corruption.
The prime minister called security measures such as the curfew a "bitter medicine" necessary to maintain order and claimed security forces followed laws on the use of excessive violence.
"We have to return life to normal in all provinces and respect the law," said Mr Mahdi.
Despite his message, dozens of people continued to gather in Baghdad's Tahrir Square, with security forces firing live rounds to try to get them to disperse.
The protests are the biggest against the government since Mr Mahdi came to power nearly a year ago and the most significant since September 2018.
They have so far been centred on Baghdad and mainly Shia provinces in the country's south, and appear to be without political leadership.