Gunfire above protesters outside Basra Oil Company prompts arrest of security guard

BASRA — Protesters demonstrating outside the Basra Oil Company said an armed man in civilian clothes fired multiple shots into the air Sunday in what they described as an attempt to intimidate the group. Videos posted on social media appeared to show several men in black clothing exiting a black SUV, pointing weapons upward, and discharging rounds near the crowd.

Witnesses said the gunman was part of a protection detail for a visiting official and opened fire to clear the way for the convoy. Another vehicle was seen driving toward the group of demonstrators, which protesters claimed was an attempt to run them down.

The demonstrators—mostly graduates of engineering, science, and oil-related programs—have held regular sit-ins and protests in Basra for months, demanding job opportunities in the region’s energy sector.

Basra police confirmed in a statement that gunfire occurred near the protest site. “During a memorial ceremony at the oil department attended by political, cultural and religious figures, a number of demonstrators were present outside the venue. As one of the figures was leaving, members of his protection detail fired shots into the air,” the statement said.

Later that day, authorities announced the arrest of the individual involved. “The Basra Police Command detained a member of a parliamentarian’s protection team who appeared in the circulated video carrying a pistol and firing into the air at a gathering of demonstrators,” police said. They added that an investigative judge in Basra ordered the man’s detention and that legal procedures had been initiated.

The police command said it had received formal complaints from demonstrators and emphasized that it “will not tolerate any attempt to disrupt security and stability in the governorate.”