Iraqis defy tear gas, upcoming curfew as protests stretch on

in Baghdad, thousands of people continued their protests at Tahrir Square on Monday, defying a curfew scheduled to be imposed from midnight until 6am. Protesters took to the streets for a fourth day. At least 74 Iraqis were killed and hundreds wounded across the country on Friday and Saturday as demonstrators clashed with security forces and militia groups in a second wave of this month's protests against Prime Minister Abdul Mahdi's government. More than 200 people have been killed in October so far.

Prime Minister Abdul Mahdi's position is increasingly precarious as he faces the largest challenge since he came to power a year ago. A spokesman for Abdul Mahdi said on Sunday that anyone disrupting work or school days would be severely punished.