Protesters shut down southern Iraqi oilfield, sources say

Protesters broke into Iraq's southern Nassiriya oilfield Saturday and forced employees to cut off electricity from its control station, taking the field offline until further notice, a security source and two oil sources said.

The oilfield produces 90,000 barrels a day (bpd) of crude. Protesters chanted "no homeland, no oil," as they forced its closure, the sources said.

Iraq has been roiled by protests since Oct. 1 in which demonstrators have taken to the streets to decry corruption, poor services and a lack of jobs. They have also called for an end to the political system imposed after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

The mass uprisings prompted the resignation of former Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi late last month. The protesters demand an independent candidate to hold the post.

The leaderless protests — the most serious challenge for the ruling class in over a decade — were met with a violent crackdown by security forces. They dispersed crowds with live fire, tear gas and sonic bombs, leading to fatalities.

Faisal Abdullah, a member of the semi-official Human Rights Commission, said the 490 killed include 33 activists "assassinated" in targeted killings. More than 22,000 have been injured.