For the second time in a few days, supporters of the influential Shiite political leader Moqtada Sadr invaded the Iraqi Parliament on Saturday, after entering the ultra-secure green area of Baghdad, during a new day of protests in a country shaken by a new political change. crisis.
Brandishing Iraqi flags, portraits of Moqtada Sadr and flags bearing religious insignia, hundreds of protesters crowded into the entrance hall of parliament before entering the chamber. Already on Wednesday, protesters briefly occupied Parliament.
Inside the building, the demonstrators walked around the hemicycle making the victory sign and taking selfies, in an atmosphere of good humor.
The political stalemate is complete in Iraq, which is still awaiting the appointment of a new president and prime minister, ten months after the legislative elections in October 2021. A kingmaker and troublemaker on the political scene, Moqtada Sadr has launched a campaign of maximum pressure against his adversaries, rejecting his candidate for the position of head of government.
tear gas launch
On Saturday morning, several thousand protesters gathered in front of a bridge in Baghdad climbed successively erected concrete blocks to block the way and hundreds of them managed to enter the green zone after crossing the Republic Bridge.
At the entrance to this area, the security forces fired tear gas to drive away the demonstrators and water cannons were activated.
The protesters evacuated the area of the wounded by taking them away, according to the AFP correspondent who saw a group attending to a protester, injured in the skull and bleeding from the face.
Tear gas was also fired at protesters trying to reach the green zone via another bridge, according to a security source.
26 protesters injured
In all, at least 26 protesters were injured, suffocated by gas or falling from tall concrete barriers erected to hinder protesters’ progress, a security source said. And 17 members of the security forces were hit by stones thrown by protesters, according to the same source.
“All the people are with you Sayyed Moqtada,” protesters chanted, using their title as a descendant of the prophet of Islam.
The demonstrators denounce the candidacy for the post of Prime Minister of Mohamed Chia al-Soudani, considered close to former head of government Nouri al-Maliki, Sadr’s historical enemy.
“We are here for a reform revolution… to make the people victorious and Sayyed Moqtada Sadr the leader,” protester Haydar al-Lami launched.
“We don’t want corrupt people, and we don’t want to judge those we have already seen” in power, he said, interviewed by AFP. “They don’t bring us anything, from 2003 until now they are the same, they have hurt us.”
On Wednesday, thousands of Sadrist protesters invaded this district and briefly occupied Parliament to reject the candidacy of Mr. Soudani, a 52-year-old former minister and provincial governor.
“Political escalation increases tensions in the street”
Coming from the political seraglio, Mr. Soudani is the candidate of the “Coordination Framework”, an alliance of pro-Iranian Shiite factions that brings together former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s formation and representatives of Hachd al-Chaabi, former paramilitaries. incorporated into the regular forces.
“Continuing the political escalation increases tensions on the street,” current Prime Minister Moustafa al-Kazimi said in a statement.
If today he decided to keep up the pressure on his opponents, Sadr had nevertheless left them the task of forming a government, which caused the resignation of his 73 deputies in June: they represented the first force within the Parliament of 329 deputies.
Overnight from Friday to Saturday, Sadr’s supporters ransacked the offices of Mr. Maliki’s Daawa party in Baghdad, as well as the premises of the Hikma Current, politician Ammar al-Hakim’s party, which is part of the Coordination Framework , according to a security source.
Source: BFM TV
