Shafaq News / The demonstrators of Kut, the center of Wasit Province in southern Iraq announced on Friday the continuation of the general strike in state institutions in a challenge to the "blue hats" who suppress protests, especially gatherings in front of government institutions.

Kut demonstrators said in a statement broadcast in the demonstrations square that they will continue the general strike in government institutions in the city, stressing that all service, health and educational departments are exempt from the strike.

The demonstrators indicated that "the strike constitutes the most pressure on the government to accelerate the fulfillment of their demands," while calling for "a commitment to peace and not to harm public or private property."

Since the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr reached an agreement at the beginning of this month with the political forces close to Iran within the "Al-Fateh" coalition to assign Muhammad Tawfiq Allawi to form the new government, his supporters of "blue hats" began to suppress the protests in an effort to end them.

The "blue hats" intended to keep the protesters away from government institutions before they stormed the squares where the protesters had been protesting for months, using excessive violence by firing bullets, stabbing protesters with knives, beating them with batons and burning their tents.

Al-Sadr and his supporters came under widespread local and international criticism. He was forced to retreat on Friday after the Supreme Shiite cleric in Iraq, Ali Al-Sistani called to leave the security duties to government forces.

Also in Wasit, university students announced that they had reached an agreement with the university presidency on several points, the most prominent of which was the perpetuation of the momentum of demonstrations on Sunday of each week.

The students said in a statement, reported to Shafaq News, that the agreement "also included calling the university students to join the official working hours in conjunction with perpetuating the momentum of the demonstrations."

The statement added that the agreement provides "allocating Sunday to participate in demonstrations and not to specify an exam on this day," calling at the same time to "spread a spirit of tolerance and parental interaction between professors and university students."

The statement pointed to the need to "establish scientific and cultural activities in the name of Wasit University in the arena of demonstrations," stressing that "no group or party should be allowed to interfere in their activities or speak in their name."

Hundreds have been killed and tens of thousands of demonstrators injured since the start of unprecedented protests against the government and ruling parties early October.