At least 45 protesters were killed, and 258 more wounded:
In Nasariya, security forces killed 29 demonstrators who were blocking a bridge or had gathered at a police station. About 233 were wounded during what has been described as merely a “sit in.” Thousands took to the streets later, defying a curfew in order to bury the dead. Some of the wounded are security personnel.
The security personnel who fired on the Nasariya demonstrators may have been part of the Quick Reaction Forces from Baghdad. Their commander was recalled to Baghdad, and Governor Adil Al-Dikhili has resigned.
Twelve people died in clashes in Najaf. At least 25 more were wounded.
In Baghdad, four demonstrators were killed.
The escalation in violence began hours after protesters set
fire to the Iranian consulate in Najaf. It is the third
Iranian consulate to have been burned down in the last two years. Many
demonstrators consider Iran to have too much influence in Iraqi politics.
Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr warned
protesters not to provoke the authorities into clamping down the revolution, as
the head of the Popular Mobilization Forces (P.M.F.) commander Abu Mahdi
al-Muhandis threatened violence towards demonstrators in Najaf under the guise
of protecting senior clerics.
Some tribal forces have reportedly joined the protesters. The tribes of al-Bedour and al-Ghazi now control Fahd Bridge near Nasariya.
