Iraq…Protesters set Fire to the office of Parliament in Basra

A Reuters witness and security sources declared that protesters in the southern Iraqi city of Basra set fire to the local office of parliament on Friday while the security forces shot live rounds in the air to separate them.

The protesters had assembled to require that the parliament of Iraq dismiss the provincial governor after that two activists were killed and others injured in three separate assaults by unknown gunmen this week, and security forces fired as the protesters shot petrol bombs.

It should be noted that the activist Reham Yacoub, who had conducted many marches of women in the past, was killed on Wednesday and three others injured when armed people, brandishing assault shooters on the back of a motorcycle, fired their car. Actually, it was the third incident this week when armed people targeted an anti-government political activist, following the murder of one activist and shot fire on four others in their car in a separate incident.

This act of violence starts when activist Tahseen Osama was assassinated last week and this led to street manifestations during three days, the security forces shot live rounds on protesters who threw rocks and petrol bombs at the house of governor and closed many principal roads.

Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi dismissed the police of Basra and national security heads on Monday and commanded a survey within the violence, this quieted protesters but the Yacoub’s killing pushes them to return on the streets. He took office in April and become the third Iraqi chief of government in a chaotic 10-week period that followed months of manifestations in the country that has been exhausted by years of sanctions, war, corruption, and economic challenges.