As violent protests continued for a second day in Baghdad and other southern Iraqi cities, head of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) Falih al-Fayyadh arrived in Washington to meet with US Defense Secretary Mark Esper Oct. 2. This comes in conjunction with the US Embassy in Baghdad urging all parties to avoid using violence.  

The mass protests erupted on Tuesday. According to the Iraqi government, at least two people were killed and more than 200 wounded, including 40 security officers, during the first day of protests. Security forces used tear gas, water cannons and live fire to disperse demonstrators.

In a statement, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi accused the protesters of rioting and called on all parties to calm down.

Former Iraqi parliament member and secretary-general of the Civic and National Forces Coalition, Shirouq Abayachi, who attended the protests and provided assistance to the injured people in the hospital, told Al-Monitor the number of casualties is much higher than what the government has reported. She said the number of dead has reached more than 20 and the wounded more than 500.