Three people were killed and dozens wounded in the southern Iraqi city of Kut in clashes between security forces and demonstrators demanding better basic services, according to police. About two thousand people took to the streets of Kut throwing bricks and stones at Iraqi security forces. Some expressed their anger against Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, echoing the anti-government demonstrations that have rocked other parts of the Arab world, including Tunisia and Egypt.
"Down, down the Maliki government. Down with corruption. Down with thieves, "shouted Ali Abdulla, a professor of 36 years who was leading a group of protesters and suffered a head injury when confronted by police. A police source in Kut said three demonstrators died in clashes and some 53 people were injured, including 15 policemen.
A hospital spokesman of Kut al-Abbas said he had received around 28 wounded. "Angry protesters set fire to the reception and the first floor of the provincial, and are preventing firefighters put out the fire," said Lt. Col. Aziz al-Amara, head of the rapid response force of the Police in Wasit province.
"We have evacuated all employees and provincial government offices to protect themselves and save their lives." Police fired shots into the air to try to disperse the protesters, but was unsuccessful. Local authorities declared a curfew with immediate effect, but a significant number of people remained on the streets.
Iraqis have long protested against poor service, but the recent demonstrations elsewhere in the Arab world seem to have renewed his desire to express their frustrations to an elected government that took office less than two months. The demonstrations yesterday, which started as protests against poor service, it soon became direct appeals to the removal of provincial government officials of Kut.
Iraq is still struggling to stand back almost eight years after the US-led invasion. The infrastructure is in ruins and there are chronic shortages of electricity. In addition, jobs are scarce. 
"Down, down the Maliki government. Down with corruption. Down with thieves, "shouted Ali Abdulla, a professor of 36 years who was leading a group of protesters and suffered a head injury when confronted by police. A police source in Kut said three demonstrators died in clashes and some 53 people were injured, including 15 policemen.
A hospital spokesman of Kut al-Abbas said he had received around 28 wounded. "Angry protesters set fire to the reception and the first floor of the provincial, and are preventing firefighters put out the fire," said Lt. Col. Aziz al-Amara, head of the rapid response force of the Police in Wasit province.
"We have evacuated all employees and provincial government offices to protect themselves and save their lives." Police fired shots into the air to try to disperse the protesters, but was unsuccessful. Local authorities declared a curfew with immediate effect, but a significant number of people remained on the streets.
Iraqis have long protested against poor service, but the recent demonstrations elsewhere in the Arab world seem to have renewed his desire to express their frustrations to an elected government that took office less than two months. The demonstrations yesterday, which started as protests against poor service, it soon became direct appeals to the removal of provincial government officials of Kut.
Iraq is still struggling to stand back almost eight years after the US-led invasion. The infrastructure is in ruins and there are chronic shortages of electricity. In addition, jobs are scarce.
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