Curfew in Iraq holy city after protesters burn down Iranian consulate
- Iranian staff were not harmed and escaped the building from the back door
- It was the strongest expression yet of the anti-Iranian sentiment of Iraqi demonstrators
Protesters burned down an Iranian consulate building in southern Iraq in a dramatic escalation of anti-government demonstrations that have left more than 350 people dead.
Protesters torched the consulate in the holy city of Najaf on Wednesday evening. One protester was killed and at least 35 people were wounded when police fired live ammunition to prevent them from entering the building, a police official said.
The demonstrators removed the Iranian flag from the building and replaced it with an Iraqi one. Iranian staff were not harmed and escaped the building from the back door and authorities imposed a curfew in Najaf. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
The protesters accuse the Shiite-led government of being hopelessly corrupt and complain of poor public services and high unemployment. They are also decrying growing Iranian influence in Iraqi state affairs.
“Victory to Iraq!” and “Iran out!” protesters chanted.
