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Schools, public institutions remain closed across Iraq as protesters block roads
 [ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Schools and public institutions across Iraq remained closed on Sunday, as protesters started fires and blocked key roads during ongoing anti-government protests.While Iraq’s Teachers Union announced a nationwide strike in solidarity with demonstrators, the Ministry of Education issued a statement confirming that Sunday was an official work day. In the cities of Baghdad, Basra, Nasiriyah, and Hillah, administrators defied the ministry’s statement and joined protesters in the streets. Demonstrators set fire to tires, wood, and other debris on Sunday morning, causing traffic jams in the Iraqi capital and elsewhere across the country. "We decided to cut the roads as a message to the government that we will keep protesting until the corrupt people and thieves are kicked out and the regime falls," said Tahseen Nasser, a 25-year-old protester. "We’re not allowing government workers to reach their offices, just those in humanitarian fields," including hospitals and coppers, he said. Sunday’s protest followed mass demonstrations a day earlier that turned violent as security forces killed one protester and maimed 91 others in Baghdad, according to security and medical sources. The protesters congregating in the capital’s central Tahrir Square on Saturday blocked roads leading to a major port. Posted by: Fred 2019-11-04 |
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