To tackle the protests, which have been raging for more than two weeks, Iraqi security forces resorted to tear gas, water cannons and live fire, the Rudaw news agency reported, citing Fadel Gharrawi, member of Iraq’s human rights commission.
According to other media reports, some 275 protesters and 470 security officers were injured while over 800 people more were arrested.
READ MORE: Analyst Explains How Washington Could Take Advantage of Protests in Iraq's Basra
The economic and social situation in Iraq, devastated by 15 years of military conflicts, remains tense with many cities in the northern part of the country ruined during the recent campaign against the Daesh* terror group.
*Daesh (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist organization banned in Russia
