On the anniversary of the anti-government demonstrations that started in Basra, Najaf, Karbala on 1 October 2019, and then spread to the cities of Missan, Mussenna, Nasiriya, and Diwaniyah, where Shiite Arabs lived, people on Sunday took to the streets in Baghdad and other cities.

Iraqi security forces fired water cannon and tear gas at the protesters during Sunday’s demonstrations to prevent them crossing fences on a bridge leading towards government buildings.

Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi had given strict orders to security forces to avoid the use of live ammunition and called on demonstrations to remain peaceful.

Protesters said that their demands have not been met. A year ago the protests forced then-Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to resign. He was replaced by al-Kadhimi, who promised to integrate protesters’ demands into his government’s plans.

However, al-Kadhimi and the new government have yet to deliver major reforms for country, including new elections, economic development, basic services and employment opportunities.

Last year, hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets demanding the removal of Iraq’s political elite, accused of incompetence, corruption and loyalty to Iran.

Around 600 protesters were killed and thousands of other were wounded in clashes before the movement came to halt amid the coronavirus pandemic.