Fresh protests hit Iraqi cities (Reports of deaths as 1000s rally against corruption & bad services)

Source: Al Jazeera English

Violent protests have taken place at various locations in Iraq, with anti-government protesters rallying against corruption, poor basic services and high unemployment.

In Basra, the country's second largest city, about 1,000 people rallied on Friday, demanding better service delivery from the government, jobs and improved pensions.

They called for the provincial governor to resign, and blocked a bridge for an hour. Protesters shouted slogans saying that while Friday's protests would be peaceful, ones held in the future may not be.

"We're living in miserable conditions, no electricity, dirty, muddy streets. We have to make changes. We should not be silent," said Qais Jabbar, one of the protesters.

Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/2011218104510878522.html

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4 Kurdish protesters killed in N Iraq

The protest began in Sulaimanieh on Thursday afternoon, Press TV correspondent reported on Thursday.

As thousands gathered, cries of "freedom," "change" and "go Barzani" rang through the city streets, rejecting the policies of the Kurdistan regional government.

Crowds held up bread, signs reading "game over" and “go before it is too late” and pictures of Mubarak fleeing amid a hail of shoes.

The peaceful protest began to turn violent as the main crowd reached the headquarters of the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP), headed by Masud Barzani.

More details & video of the protests (with a lot of gunfire): http://www.presstv.ir/detail/165817.html

BASRA, Iraq - Iraqis demanding better public services, jobs and pensions blocked a bridge Friday in the southern oil hub of Basra, as spreading Middle East unrest emboldens Iraqis to take on government officials over poor living standards.

In the wake of the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, frustrated Iraqis have staged repeated protests across the country. This week, at least five people were killed when demonstrations in two Iraqi cities turned violent.

About 1,000 people rallied Friday in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, to demand the resignation of the provincial governor, who they say has failed to boost the quality of life even as security improves.

The city, 340 miles (550 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad, is a microcosm of postwar Iraq's many woes.

More: http://www.cnbc.com/id/41663386

Gee, which does this remind you of?