Hundreds of protesters cut off the Basra-Baghdad highway on Saturday in an attempt to pressure the Iraqi government to give them full job opportunities in oil companies.
Most of the protesters used to be daily-wage workers who were promised full time jobs by the government.
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However, they claim their services were ended suddenly and the promises of full time employment didn’t materialize.
The protest started at the al-Sidra checkpoint outside Basra, preventing trucks, officials, and oil companies’ employees from entering the city.
They blockaded the highway with burning tires and anti-riot police were deployed to the area.
Basra is Iraq’s second-largest province and home to about 70 percent of the OPEC member’s vast oil reserves.
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