Protesters clash with security forces in Nasiriyah over arrests of Tishreen activists

DHI QAR — Large protests erupted in the southern city of Nasiriyah on Friday, as demonstrators clashed with security forces following accusations of a government-led campaign of arbitrary arrests targeting activists from the 2019 Tishreen movement.

The unrest began last week after Major General Najah Yasser, the newly appointed police chief of Dhi Qar, announced the arrest of more than 500 individuals, including activists from the 2019 demonstrations, on the basis of old arrest warrants. Yasser accused some of the activists of extorting government departments for shares in provincial projects. Protest leaders, however, condemned the arrests as politically motivated and called for a mass demonstration in Al-Habboubi Square, the symbolic heart of the 2019 Tishreen protests.

Videos circulating on social media showed hundreds of protesters gathering in the square, waving Iraqi flags and chanting slogans reminiscent of the 2019 demonstrations. The Tishreen protests, which began in October 2019 and lasted until May 2021, were sparked by widespread dissatisfaction with corruption, economic hardship, unemployment, and inadequate public services.

On Friday, security forces used tear gas to disperse the crowds, while some protesters moved to nearby streets, setting tires on fire. Civil activist Abu Aya al-Saidi voiced his frustration, calling for an end to the arbitrary arrests. “We are a safe governorate that cooperates with the law,” al-Saidi told 964media. “We will not resort to illegal activities like assaulting security forces or burning tires.”

Al-Saidi criticized the police chief’s remarks labeling the protesters as “dark forces” and “criminals,” describing the approach as “unacceptable.” He urged the Interior Minister to replace the current security leadership with more “qualified individuals” capable of managing the province.

The Dhi Qar Provincial Council urged both protesters and security forces to exercise restraint, calling for the formation of a joint committee involving the judiciary, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Interior to review the cases of the activists facing arrest warrants and provide them an opportunity to defend themselves.

On Friday, the Dhi Qar Police Command issued a statement claiming that protesters had attacked security forces assigned to protect the demonstrators, resulting in injuries to three officers and 19 security personnel.

The police command defended the arrests made earlier this month, explaining that they were based on judicial warrants and carried out to maintain public order. “There is no targeting of individuals or groups,” the statement read.

MPs Alaa Al-Rikabi and Ghazwan Al-Manshad addressed the protesters, urging calm while efforts to release detainees were underway. Despite these appeals, protests escalated, with some groups demanding an official apology from the government for the police actions.

Nasiriyah has been a focal point for unrest in recent years. In 2022, two protesters were shot and killed in clashes with security forces during a demonstration against the prison sentence of an activist. That activist had been sentenced by a Baghdad court to three years for allegedly insulting the Popular Mobilization Forces, a Shiite militia group aligned with Iran and integrated into Iraq’s official security forces.

Nasiriyah also played a central role in the 2019 Tishreen protests, which rocked Iraq with demands for political reforms. These demonstrations were met with violent repression, resulting in over 600 deaths and more than 30,000 injuries.