Protests grip Iraq despite rising toll

Baghdad, December 8 

Thousands of Iraqi protesters today streamed into streets and public squares in Baghdad and south, saying they were not deterred by the violence meant to "scare" them. 

In Baghdad, crowds of anti-government demonstrators thronged Tahrir Square, the epicentre of their movement. Late Friday, unidentified gunmen attacked a parking complex near Tahrir where demonstrators had been squatting for weeks, leaving 20 protesters and four police officers dead, medics said. 

At least 452 people have died and 20,000 have been wounded so far.. In Nasiriyah, where dozens were killed last month, protesters regrouped along with representatives of powerful tribes. — AFP