Tens of thousands of Iraqis thronged central Baghdad demanding the root-and-branch downfall of the political elite in the biggest day of mass anti-government demonstrations since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Tahrir Square, many waving Iraqi flags and demanding that the government resign and that parliament be dissolved. Several thousand protesters also blocked roads leading to the country's main Gulf port of Umm Qasr, preventing trucks carrying goods from entering or leaving the area. Security forces used live rounds and tear gas against the crowds overnight in an effort to clear the blockade. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the Iraqi government should listen to the "legitimate demands" of protesters, adding that the country's official investigation into deadly violence during the first round of protests "lacked sufficient credibility." Since the first wave of protests began in early October, at least 250 people have been killed while an estimated 10,000 people have been injured by security forces.
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