The Occupation Troops Crack Down on Unemployed Protests

January 2004

Thousands of unemployed people demonstrated in the last few days in the southern cities of Basra, Imara and Kut asking for jobs and food. Many media outlets described the latest demonstrations as the “uprising of the unemployed people”. These ongoing demonstrations which are gradually increasing in size, the violent response from the occupying forces and local police, and the widespread anger for the appalling condition the masses are kept in herald many more mass protests in coming days.

… On Saturday, January 10, 2004, the British troops and local police killed 6 and wounded 8 Iraqis during a mass protest by unemployed people in the southern city of Imara. Six protesters lost their lives in this peaceful protest when the British troops and local police responded with live ammunition. The weekend demonstrators were demanding jobs or unemployed benefit in form of basic raw food material.

… On Monday, January 12, 2004, hundreds of the unemployed people gathered again in front of the Governor’s building. The demonstrators expanded their demands after the weekend clashes to include improved services, electricity, gas, and compensation for the families of victims. In Addition to jobs or raw food they also demanded a new gubernatorial election and elimination of the riot police and the “emergency battalion.”

… The current governor, Ryaad al-Mahood, is believed to have encouraged the local police to shoot at the demonstrators gathering in front of the government building last Saturday. Two other members of al-Mahood family were directly implicated in Saturday’s shootings. Ryaad al-Mahood is the brother of Karim al-Mahood Mohamadawi, a member of the Governing Council. Mondays’ demonstration dispersed quickly when heavily armed British forces arrived at the scene. The residents of this city also distributed a statement presenting their demands and requested that the murderers who shot at the demonstrators, killed and wounded eight people be brought to justice.

… On Monday, January 12, 2004, hundreds of unemployed people took to streets in the city of Kut for a second successive day. The demonstrators gathered in front of the Ukrainian air base in the eastern part of the city. The Ukrainian forces used tear gas and fired warning shots in air to disperse the demonstration and also physically attacked at least one demonstrator. The demonstrators then marched to the governor’s building and occupied it for a while.

… On Tuesday, January 13, 2004, again hundreds demonstrated in Kut demanding jobs. Several people were injured as a result of being fired upon when demonstrators clashed with the local police and the Ukrainian troops.

… The US troops killed seven Iraqis on Sunday, January 11, 2004. The occupying forces have justified this crime by claiming that those killed were steeling petroleum.

… On Monday, January 12, 2004, tens of former employees of the Iraqi Airlines demonstrated in front of the former Conference Palace in Baghdad where the Coalition Provisional Administration is located. They demanded that Iraqi Airlines should resume its flights and that the US forces have to evacuate Baghdad airport. The demonstrators held a banner reading “the employees of the Iraqi Airlines ask the occupation forces to let work begin in civil airports.”

Union of unemployed in Iraq
15.1.2004