Reuters and AFP, BAGHDADIraqi security forces yesterday advanced toward Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, the main protest camp in the capital, firing tear gas and live rounds at protesters, witnesses said. Clashes between protesters and police injured at least 19 demonstrators as authorities began to remove concrete barriers erected for months near a main anti-government demonstration site, medics and eyewitnesses said. Their protesters’ tents were burned down and municipal staff could be seen clearing the charred remains to reopen the square. The anti-government protesters have long feared that if al-Sadr withdrew his support, they would lose political cover. The city’s military command also announced it had retaken control of Ahrar Bridge, a flashpoint for clashes between security forces and demonstrators for months.
