Iraqis rally to defy checkpoints, vehicle bans

[March 04, 2011]  BAGHDAD (AP) -- Thousands rallied across Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq on Friday in anti-government demonstrations that defied security checkpoints and a vehicle ban that forced many to walk for hours to the heart of the capital.

It was the second Friday in a row of Iraqi demonstrations -- a show of force that has unnerved officials worried that the turmoil in the rest of the region is spreading here.

The rallies, inspired by revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, have concentrated on demands for improved government services, better pay and an end to corruption in Iraq. They also reflect the level of unhappiness many Iraqis feel nearly eight years after the fall of Saddam Hussein.

"Our country is lost and for the last eight years the government has failed to offer services for people. Thousands of youths are without jobs," said Bahjat Talib.

He said he walked from the vast slum in eastern Baghdad called Sadr City through eight checkpoints to get to the square. Talib said he had to tell security forces that he was going to work or they would not let him pass.

He was one of about 2,000 demonstrators in and around Liberation Square, surrounded by hundreds of security forces.

The Iraqi government, worried the demonstrations may spiral out of control, have taken strict measures that appear designed to limit the number of demonstrators who come out. Late Thursday, they imposed a vehicle ban in the capital so many of the protesters were forced to walk for miles. Similar vehicle bans were in place in at least ten cities across Iraq from the northern city of Mosul, to Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, to the southern city of Basra.

Hana Adwar, an Iraqi political activist, said she'd received several calls from friends on the western side of the city who had been prevented by security forces from crossing the Tigris River to get to eastern Baghdad where the square is located.

But instead of simply staying home, protesters held demos in different locations across the capital. Hundreds of people organized a rally in western Baghdad's Mansour neighborhood. And in the Sunni neighborhood of Azamiyah, hundreds of people gathered in front of the revered Abu Khanifa mosque after Friday prayers shouting: "Liar, liar, Nouri al-Maliki is a liar!"

At Liberation Square, side streets were blocked with security vehicles and helicopters buzzed overhead. The bridge leading from the square to the Green Zone, home to the U.S. Embassy and the Iraqi prime minister's residence, was blocked off with razor wire and concrete barriers.

A long row of riot police stood at the entrance to the bridge, preventing protesters from going further.

The bridge was the site of repeated clashes last Friday between protesters who tried to cross the bridge and threw rocks at the security forces who beat them back with batons and chucked the stones back.

Iraqi security forces around the country clashed last Friday with protesters in the most widespread and violent demonstrations the country has seen since a wave of unrest began spreading across the Middle East. At least 14 people were killed in those rallies, that raised questions about the use of force by Iraqi security officials.

Both the U.S. and the U.N. earlier this week said they were disturbed by reports of abuse of force by the security forces during the protests against journalists and activists.

Before those protests, Iraqi officials sounded a drumbeat of warnings about the demonstrations, saying they were being backed by supporters of Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida. The warnings seemed designed to keep people away and paint those who did take part in a bad light.

Demonstrators this Friday took measures to protect themselves, evidencing the distrust many feel toward the security forces. Kamil al-Assadi, from Sadr city, formed a committee checking demonstrators entering the square because they were worried the security forces might plant people in the crowd to create problems.

"We do not trust the Iraqi security forces and formed a committee to check the demonstrators to make sure that no one is carrying a knife or any kind of weapon who aims at creating any problems during the demo."

In the southern city of Basra, about 1,000 people converged on the Basra provincial council building. Last week the protests in the city led to the resignation of the governor. This week they were demanding that the provincial council step down and essential services such as water and electricity be improved.

Demonstrations were also held in the cities of Mosul and Tikrit.

[Associated Press; By BUSHRA JUHI and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA]

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