Fatalities reported after mass protest in Baghdad
Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Multiple people were killed in clashes between Iraqi security forces and protesters during a large rally near the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters loyal to the influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr flooded Tahrir Square on Saturday morning in what began as a peaceful gathering calling for electoral reforms ahead of provincial elections in September.
Protesters then moved toward the main road to the Green Zone, the closely guarded portion of the city established after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 that is home to Iraqi government buildings and foreign embassies. As the protesters approached, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.
Protesters blamed police for escalating the violence, but government officials said an unnamed number of police officers were killed after taking live fire from the crowd. Officials also acknowledged deaths among the protesters, as well.
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