Wearing Masks, Iraqis Protest against the Parliament

Arab World

February 26th, 8:27am

Baghdad – Fadhel al-Nashmi

Iraqi women demonstrators wear protective face masks, following the outbreak of the new coronavirus, as they carry Iraqi flag during ongoing anti-government protests in Baghdad, Iraq February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Wissm al-Okili

Thousands of people have protested in Baghdad and governorates in central and southern Iraq, defying heavy rains and a serious health threat arising from the novel coronavirus, after five cases had been reported in the country. The Health Ministry pleaded that demonstrators steer clear of public places and remain at home, but protesters took to the streets on Tuesday, with many wearing face masks. They also established medical units near the squares to treat medical emergencies and suspected cases. The five infected patients are members of an Iraqi family who had been on a trip to Iran, the ministry said in a statement. They have been placed in quarantine as schools and universities were suspended for ten days in Najaf. The demonstrators in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square took to the streets on Tuesday to reiterate their rejection of Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi’s government. They called for forming an independent cabinet and holding officials accountable for their crimes. For the first time, a number of protesters called for swiftly dissolving the parliament, setting a date for early elections, and voting on a new electoral law to be approved by the President. In Nasiriyah, center of Dhi Qar governorate, thousands of demonstrators and students flocked to the Habboubi Square, blocking the intersection of Baho, al-Hadarat, and al-Nasr bridges by burning tires to protest the government’s indifference to the demands of the protest movement, according to sources in city. Pictures and videos circulated by activists showed that demonstrators had poured onto most of the city's streets. Journalist Maitham al-Shabani based in al-Diwaniya governorate, told Asharq Al-Awsat that thousands of people marched in the streets despite the heavy rains. Similar protests took place in the governorates of Babel, Karbala and Wasit. Except for road closures in Nasiriyah, streets in other governorates remained largely unblocked and free from violence.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2150351/wearing-masks-iraqis-protest-against-parliament