Security forces use tear gas, water cannons in Kut electricity protests; several injured

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Security forces in Kut fired tear gas and water cannons and used firearms against civilians protesting power outages, leaving several people wounded and leading to a number of arrests, according to local reports. Some of those detained have been transferred to Baghdad for questioning, the reports said. The protests were triggered by prolonged electricity cuts that have hit the city, particularly during the summer months, residents said. Although the demonstrations were limited to demands for reliable power, security forces were reported to have responded with disproportionate force. Demonstrators sent a message to authorities that meeting basic service demands with violence is unacceptable in a country where resources are widely seen as eroded by corruption. Observers drew parallels with the October 2019 Tishreen movement, when security forces opened fire on protesters. Protesters called on security personnel to stand with the public and refuse orders to use heavy-handed tactics. They stressed that civilians remain a permanent presence in the country while officials come and go, warning that the bloodshed would, over time, work against the forces' own interests. No further details on casualties or arrests were immediately available.