Tens of thousands of Iraqis protested in Baghdad's central Tahrir Square on Tuesday for a fifth day, angered by reports of security forces killing demonstrators in the city of Kerbala and the prime minister's refusal to call early elections.

It was the largest gathering in the capital since a second wave of demonstrations against Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi's government and the ruling elite resumed on Friday. A populist cleric who helped install the premier called for his removal.

Security forces stationed on the nearby Jumhuriya bridge, lobbed tear gas at protesters in Tahrir Square who tried to break through to the heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign missions.