In multiple videos taken from different vantage points on or near the Jimhouriya Bridge, masked security forces at barricades and on a patrol boat can be seen firing the grenades at a low angle directly towards a crowd of protesters nearby. In other footage, the grenades can be seen whizzing past the protesters’ heads at high velocity
In Iraq, an anti-establishment movement has prevailed over violent attempts to crush demonstrations since October, when anti-government protests broke out calling for jobs, government services and an end to extreme poverty. This movement has the support of activists throughout the country.
Protests in Iraq continue despite recent violence and deepening divides following an exchange of attacks between the United States and Iran inside Iraqi territory earlier this month. On Friday, mass demonstrations are expected against U.S. military involvement in Iraq, as well as for the basic rights protesters have been demanding for months