Thousands of Iraqis took to the streets this weekend to complain of limited electricity, shoddy water and sewage services, and potential layoffs in government jobs. In the city of Basra, approximately 1,500 protesters got into a shoving match with riot police while demonstrators presented provincial officials a list of demands. In a press conference on Sunday, Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced he would increase monthly food rations for all Iraqis by about $12.