Protesters block highway linking Dhi Qar with Baghdad, demand services

Shafaq News/ Protesters blocked a highway linking southern Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate with the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Thursday, demanding improved services and infrastructure in their area.

Residents of Kalaat Saker district burned tires to disrupt traffic, voicing frustration over a lack of paved roads and other basic amenities, witnesses said.

The local administration in Dhi Qar promised to launch a package of development projects next week, including initiatives for the protesters' area, according to district Manager Anwar Thamer.

Iraq has faced repeated protests over the years, with residents in rural areas often complaining of neglect by the government. Dhi Qar was among the centers of pro-reform protests that erupted in Iraq in October 2019 and spread across southern Iraq and the rest of the country. Even before then, the residents had protested to demand jobs, better public services, and an end to corruption.

Protests have also regularly taken place during summer months when temperatures have exceeded 50°C, with Iraqis demanding improved power supply and clean water services.

Among other demands, protesters have called for an overhaul to the political system in place since the 2003 US-led invasion, and early elections based on a new voting law that gives the chance for independent candidates to reach parliament.