Friday, February 25

25 February: Iraq's "day of rage"

Al Jazeera English reports: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/2011224192028229471.html



Thousands of Iraqis are expected to take part in rallies organised mainly through social networking site Facebook, after weeks of scattered protests around the country calling for an end to corruption, shortages of jobs, food, power and water.

"February 25 is the Iraqi day of rage for change, an end to corruption and sectarianism in Iraq," said one post on the wall of Facebook group 'Baghdad Facebook' on Thursday, which had over 3,000 supporters.

A member of another Facebook group with more than 3,000 supporters named 'A street without a hole in Baghdad' called on people to take part in peaceful protests to improve services.

It is however, impossible to verify how many members of such groups live in Iraq.

Baghdad, Basra, Kirkuk, Sulaimaniya and other cities and towns have been hit by protests in recent weeks, some leading to clashes between protesters and security forces. Several people have been killed and scores wounded.

Popular uprisings mobilised by youths using social media, which unseated Tunisia and Egypt's long-ruling leaders, have motivated young Iraqis.

"Let the voice of freedom be heard in all of Baghdad's streets and let's take a lesson from Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.
Long live Iraq," wrote one supporter of Facebook group 'February revolution against corruption'.

Other groups encouraged Iraqis living abroad to support the demonstration by protesting outside Iraqi embassies.

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