Protests at US Embassy – level 3

03-01-2019 15:00

6,000 protesters gathered outside the US embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, after last weekend’s US airstrikes.

The five deadly airstrikes killed 25 people and hurt dozens of people in an Iran-backed militia group. Many of the protesters were part of that same militia group.

Dozens of the protesters broke into the embassy, set things on fire, and broke windows before they went back outside. The US troops who were guarding the embassy fired tear gas at the protesters.

The US sent large military helicopters to fly over the embassy as a show of force, and it sent about 100 marines to help. There were no plans to evacuate the embassy and no Americans were hurt.

Iran says that it was not involved in the protests.

Difficult words: backed (supported by someone or something), militia (a group of people who act like a military group or an army), a show of force (when you show that you are strong).

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