Gunfire at Iraqi bridge disaster demonstration
Gunfire erupted today after protesters marched toward the bridge where nearly 1,000 Shiites died in a stampede yesterday.
Three people were injured in the latest melee, which triggered an exchange of fire between rival neighbourhoods over the Tigris River.
Police said the trouble started when Shiites in the Kazimiyah district approached the bridge from their side, shouting slogans protesting about yesterday’s deaths, blamed on a rumour that a suicide bomber was preparing to attack the Shiite religious procession.
No one had told the Iraqi soldiers guarding the bridge about the demonstration, so they started shooting in the air, police said. Three people were hurt in the ensuing panic.
At the same time across the river in Sunni Azamiyah, unidentified gunmen in several cars opened fire toward the bridge linking the two districts, police said. Local residents in turn opened fire at the gunmen’s cars.
With all the shooting, gunmen on each side of the river thought they were under attack from the other.
They started firing across the river, pinning down people on the bridge.
The shooting continued for about a half hour, police said.
