Iraqi protesters blocked main roads leading to oilfields in the southern Basra province on Monday, amid mass demonstrations against corruption. "Prot
Iraqi protesters blocked main roads leading to oilfields in the southern Basra province on Monday, amid mass demonstrations against corruption.
“Protesters will continue to block the roads with a view to impose general strike in the country,” a local activist said, requesting anonymity due to security concerns.
On Sunday, demonstrators blocked the road leading to the Majnoon oilfield, which has an estimated 38 billion barrels of oil.
Since early October, Iraq has seen mass popular protests against government policies which, according to protesters, failed to address the poor living conditions of Iraqis and end corruption. The demands later developed into demands of dissolving Adel Abdul-Mahdi’s government.
According to the Iraq’s High Commission for Human Rights, at least 335 Iraqis have been killed and around 15,000 have been injured since the protests began on Oct. 1.
Reuters
Protesters block entrance to Iraq’s Umm Qasr port
Protesters have once again blocked the entrance to Iraq’s Umm Qasr commodities port near Basra, preventing employees and tankers from entering and bringing operations down by 50%, two port sources said on Monday.