At least 12 protesters were wounded in new confrontations with security forces in and around central Baghdad’s Khilani Square. Protesters ran for cover while police and security forces, some of them masked, fired the tear gas in daylong confrontations that engulfed the area in gray smoke. As Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, the 89-year-old spiritual leader holds significant sway over public opinion and has intervened in previous times of crisis to wield influence over Iraqis. The plan calls for a series of ambitious short- and long-term measures focusing on electoral, security and constitutional reforms. The casualties came during confrontations outside the education directorate as security forces tear-gassed protesters trying to block employees from reaching the building in the city center.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer November 11, 2019 22:58 UTC