Demonstrators work to install a Christmas tree, with posters of protesters who have been killed in demonstrations and their belongings, at Tahrir Square in Baghdad, December 24, 2019. /AP Photo
Iraqi anti-government protesters again hit the streets Wednesday, angered by an activist's death and an attempt on the life of a popular TV satirist.
The latest rallies in Baghdad and southern cities came after a night of unrest that saw protesters torch the regional headquarters of two pro-Iran militias in the city of Diwaniyah.
The demonstrators have rallied for almost three months to demand the ouster of the entire political class that has run the oil-rich yet poverty-ridden country in the aftermath of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion which overthrew Saddam Hussein.
The mostly youthful activists accuse Iraq's leaders of enriching themselves, mismanaging the economy and being beholden to powerful neighbor Iran.
A street vendor sells Iraqi flags to anti-government protesters during ongoing protests, in Tahrir Square, Baghdad, December 25, 2019. /AP Photo
Passions were inflamed when popular TV satirist Aws Fadhil was targeted Tuesday by unknown assailants, with three bullets hitting his car.
Fadhil posted footage of the bullet holes on social media and declared: "They are targeting those who support the revolution, to silence them ... But we are continuing our revolution."
He added that "we have already achieved a goal," referring to a parliamentary vote Tuesday to approve an electoral reform law in line with the demands of the protesters.
Lawmakers will from now be elected in first-past-the-post contests within electoral districts, rather than through a complex system using provincial party lists and proportional representation.
Cement blocks have been used to close the commercial and historic al-Rasheed Street during anti-government protests in Baghdad, December 25, 2019. /AP Photo
Constituencies will also be redrawn, though it was unclear how and critics feared the new boundaries could be biased toward major parties and tribal groups.
Despite the reform steps, protesters again rallied Wednesday – including in the city of Diwaniyah, where they marched under a large Iraqi flag to mourn a prominent activist Thaer al-Tayeb.
A suspicious explosion hit Tayeb's car on December 15, badly wounding him and fellow activist Ali al-Madani in Tayeb's hometown 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Baghdad.
After Tayeb's death in hospital was announced Tuesday, crowds of demonstrators rushed to the two headquarters of pro-Iran militias in Diwaniyah and torched them.
Around 460 people have been killed, most of them protesters, since the start of the demonstrations in early October and 25,000 have been wounded.
(With input from AFP)