Protesters in Iraq cut port road, close central bank – officials

Iraqi security officials said Monday that anti-government demonstrators in the south had blocked roads leading to the country’s main port while protesters in Baghdad forced the closure of Iraq’s central bank.

Protesters burned tires, blocking the roads to the Umm Qasr port, responsible for the bulk of the country’s imported commodities, AP quoted a Basra official as saying. This is the second time the port has been blocked since the protests began on October 1.

In Baghdad, staff were evacuated from the Central Bank of Iraq located on Rasheed Street as crowds approached the area.