NCRI – Millions of Iraqis staged mass protests across the country on Friday to demand the resignation of prime minister Nouri al-Maliki and his government.
The demonstrations – named as ‘Our Burning Demands’ – came after the massacre of 38 anti-Maliki protesters by Iraqi and Iranian Quds forces in al-Hawijah last week.
Protesters also set fire to placards listing 14 key demands they issued to the government four months ago.
In the cities of Takrit and Bijji, a 4,000-strong tribal army faced SWAT and government and government forces linked to Maliki.
Al-Rafedain TV reported: “In Tikrit, SWAT forces and plain clothes agents infiltrated the demonstrators and attacked them. They also mounted a stage where the representatives were making speeches and argued with them to try to end the demonstration.”
In a separate report, the Friday preacher in Ramadi said: “Maliki’s forces attacked the protesters in Bijji and there was a serious dispute between them and the demonstrators.”
Protest organiser Sheikh Khamis Abu Risheh was reported to have given the government forces a 24-hour deadline to leave his province.
In Samera, protesters spokesman Dr Najeh al-Mizan said: “Today we are not demanding our right. We have only one demand and that is for Maliki to resign. This is the same demand that six other provinces are calling for.
“We also demand that an international court investigates the massacre in al-Hawijah. We must expose the truth about al-Hawijah so that the world can learn what this government is really like.”
