Death toll in Iraq's flashpoint southern city of Nasiriyah rises to 15 protesters, medics say, as security forces fire on rallies in new spree of violence
Also on Friday, thousands of defiant Iraqi protesters regrouped across the country's south after nearly 45 protesters were killed in one of the bloodiest days of anti-government rallies yet.
Iraqis carry the coffins of anti-government demonstrators killed during protests a day earlier during a funeral procession in the central holy shrine city of Najaf on November 29, 2019. The bulk of the dead, 29, fell in the southern protest hotspot of Nasiriyah, and thousands hit the streets to mourn them on Friday.
The new unrest in Iraq's south was unleashed after protesters stormed the Iranian consulate in Najaf late on Wednesday, accusing the neighbouring country of propping up Iraq's government. Police officers said they had received orders on Thursday to "finish off" the rallies but the disastrous developments in Nasiriyah put a halt to those plans.
Protesters are seeking an overhaul of the ruling elite, accused of corruption and embezzling state funds in a country scarred by decades of conflict and where infrastructure is failing.
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