Thousands of protesters gathered around Baghdad’s fortified zone, where embassies and government buildings are located, on Monday to protest against the occupation of Iraq’s parliament by supporters of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
The act, carried out by opponents of Al-Sadr, adds another chapter to the country’s already tense political crisis. Rival Shia Muslim groups are affiliated with heavily armed militias, which has raised fears that the protest and counter-protest could lead to violent clashes.
According to the organizers of the demonstrations – which include parties and militias aligned with Iran – the protest on Monday aims to protect state institutions from civil unrest espoused by their opponents.
In the last week, Al-Sadr supporters have occupied the Iraqi parliament twice in four days. During the second invasion on Saturday (30), at least 125 people were injured after clashes.
As the protesters remained in place, anti-occupation groups gathered outside the so-called green zone and threw stones at the police, who responded from behind the concrete barriers with water cannons.
Some people waved banners calling for the ouster of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who took over in 2020 after a series of protests led to the resignation of Adel Abdul Mahdi, and remains in office as a sort of buffer prime minister.
Later, the protesters dispersed after the leader of Qais al-Khazali — the Iranian-backed faction — thanked them for participating and asked them to go home.
A pro-Iran militia commander told Reuters he feared clashes and hoped calm would prevail.
“The situation in Iraq is very difficult. We hope that God will free us from fighting among the brothers. If things get worse, it will ruin the entire region,” said the commander, declining to be identified as he was not authorized to speak with the press.
This Monday’s anti-Sadr acts add to the tension that has been accumulating for almost ten months in the country. Since the October 2021 election, Iraq has experienced a record period of immobility, with more than 290 days without a president and an effective prime minister.
The election had confirmed the party linked to Al-Sadr as the country’s biggest force, but the cleric withdrew his 74 lawmakers (out of a total of 329 in the House) from the scene last month after failing to form a government that excluded rivals. Shiites, supported by Iran and accused of links to paramilitary groups.
These parties inherited the seats, but the cleric indicated that he could mobilize his support base — which includes a militia of his own — for protests if a coalition he disapproved of was formed. His supporters then expressed their rejection of the names of Nouri al-Maliki, accused of being corrupt, and Mohammed al-Sudani, seen as the ex-premier’s deputy.
The Sadrists called for new elections and an end to the political system that has existed since the US-led invasion that toppled Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein.
Since the fall of Hussein, Iraq has had a system whereby the Shia parties, which represent the country’s demographic majority, have been elected prime minister; the Kurds, the Presidency; and the Sunnis, the head of Parliament. The current crisis also involves the main Kurdish parties, which do not agree on the nomination for the presidency.
The paralysis left Iraq without a 2022 budget, delaying economic reforms and infrastructure investments that analysts said were crucial for the country to overcome decades of conflict. The population says that the situation exacerbates a picture of unemployment, although the scenario is one of growing revenues, amid the rise in oil prices, and relative peace since the defeat of the Islamic State.
