At least eight people were killed, and 297 more were wounded in recent violence:
At least six people were killed, and 297 were wounded during Monday’s protests. So far, 235 deaths have been reported throughout October. Another 8,000 demonstrators have been wounded.
In political news:
Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called on the Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi to announce early elections. Sadr’s Sairoon bloc helped Abdul-Mahdi come to power after the 2018 election, but now it stands in opposition to his government. Haifa al-Amin, an lawmaker for Dhi Qar province, resigned from parliament yesterday and called for the current government to step down. Meanwhile, Fatah Alliance, the political arm of the Hashd al-Shaabi militias, proclaimed its continued support of the current government. Militiamen have been blamed for much of the violence.
Parliament dissolved provincial councils, end privileges of top officials, and called the prime minister in for questioning. They approved several other measures, but Sadr warned the protesters that it is all a “sham.”
In the cities:
In Baghdad, authorities declared a curfew due to ongoing protests. At least five people were killed and about 244 were wounded. Students once again joined protesters. Soldiers were reported beating on students with their batons; some were caught on video. The sounds of loud music and honking cars filled the streets. Past curfew, protesters were still out on the streets.
Police in Karbala used live rounds to control protesters, killing one and injuring 53 more.
Student protests also took place in Basra, Diwaniya, Hilla, Nasariya and the holy city of Najaf.
Other violence:
Three rockets were fired at Camp Taji, where U.S. troops are based. No casualties were reported.
A civil servant and his daughter were killed when a bomb exploded in Muqdadiya.
