2015–16 Iraqi protests

2015–16 Iraqi protests
Date 31 July 2015 – present
(9 months and 5 days)
Location Iraq (since 30 April 2016: Green Zone, Baghdad)
Causes Corruption
Inflation
Sectarianism
Unemployment
Growth of ISIL
Methods Demonstrations
Sit-ins
Status

Ongoing

  • Protesters occupy Iraqi parliament building
  • State of emergency in effect in Baghdad as of 30 April 2016[1]
  • Roads entering into Baghdad closed[1]
Parties to the civil conflict
Shi'a Protesters
Lead figures

2015–16 Iraqi protests started on 31 July 2015 in Baghdad and most of Iraqi cities, mainly in middle and southern provinces.

2016 protests

On 30 April 2016, thousands of protesters entered the Green Zone in Baghdad and occupied the Iraqi parliament building. This happened after the Iraqi parliament did not approve new government ministers. The protesters included supporters of Shia cleric Muqtada Al Sadr. Although Iraqi security forces were present, they did not attempt to stop the protesters from entering the parliament building.[2]

Background

In 2014, Iraq's election led to a fractured parliament and inability to quickly form a government. Following frustration at the lack of progress, Moqtada al-Sadr promised to lead a sit-in near parliament within the Green Zone in calling for reforms to end corruption.[3][4] Despite attempts by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to re-shuffle his cabinet,[5] he carried out the threat[6][7] for a short period before calling on his supporters to disperse.[5] The political instability in the country has been disconcerting to foreign governments,[8][9] especially amongst rumours of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki political maneuvering.[10][11] The U.S. had earlier called for the replacement of al-Maliki as prime minister as a condition for fighting ISIS.[12][13] A few days before the protests, parliament failed to reach a quorum to approve new ministers to replace the current government.[14] al-Abadi warned that a failure to form a new government would hurt the war against ISIS.[15]

Breaching of Green Zone and parliament

Shorty after al-Sadr ended a news conference in Najaf where he condemned the political deadlock and warned that "either corrupt [officials] and quotas remain or the entire government will be brought down and no one will be exempt from that" and that he would take a two-month withdrawal from public life as he was "waiting for the great popular uprising and the major revolution to stop the march of the corrupt;"[15] though he did not order his supporters to enter the Green Zone, Shia protesters breached the barricades at the Green Zone and stormed the Iraqi parliament building.[14] After crossing a bridge across the Tigris River, a guard at a checkpoint reported that the protesters had not been searched before entering, while television footage showed them waving the flag of Iraq whiles some were standing on top of concrete blast walls at the outer barrier to the Green Zone.[16] They chanted "the cowards ran away," in reference to MPs leaving parliament.[17] While there were scenes of rioting,[7] other protesters shouted "peacefully, peacefully" as they tried to contain the destruction. Some of the protesters pulled barbed wire across a road leading to one of the exits from the Green Zone, while several vehicles believed to belong to MPs were attacked and damaged.[14] While there were no clashes with the security forces, an army special forces unit was dispatched with armoured vehicles and all entrances to the city of Baghdad were shut "as a precautionary measure to maintain the capital’s security," according to an unnamed security official, although no curfew had been imposed. Hundreds of protesters were seen dancing, waving Iraqi flags and chanting pro-al-Sadr slogans, while others appeared to be breaking furniture.[15] Security was also increased at state institutions such as the headquarters for the Central Bank of Iraq and the airport.[18]

Other protesters were said to be convening at the road to Baghdad International Airport to stop politicians from leaving the city and/or the country.[19]

Reactions

President Fuad Masum called on the protesters to leave the parliament building but added: "Burying the regime of party and sectarian quotas cannot be delayed." Sheikh Muhanad al-Gharrawi, an al-Sadr spokesman, also said that al-Sadr had called on his supporters to evacuate the parliament building and set up tents outside. "Negotiations are ongoing between security and government officials and protesters’ representatives to make sure their demands are met."[15]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "State of emergency declared in Baghdad as protesters take Iraqi parliament". Washington Post. 30 April 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  2. ↑ https://www.afp.com/en/news/15/thousands-protesters-storm-iraq-parliament-green-zone
  3. ↑ "Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr calls for Baghdad sit-in". aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  4. ↑ "Thousands demonstrate at Baghdad's Green Zone". muscatdaily.com. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  5. 1 2 "Thousands Of Iraqis Answer Moqtada al-Sadr's Call To Protest". ndtv.com. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  6. ↑ Saif Hameed. "Moqtada al-Sadr's followers begin anti-corruption sit-in in Baghdad". in.reuters.com. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  7. 1 2 "Water bottles thrown in Iraqi parliament as thousands take to streets". middleeasteye.net. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  8. ↑ "The political crisis rocking Baghdad and why it matters for the war on ISIS". vox.com. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  9. ↑ "In Saudi visit, Obama works to calm Gulf tensions with US". New Milford Spectrum. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  10. ↑ "Iraq's former Prime Minister Maliki said behind troubles in parliament". middleeasteye.net. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  11. ↑ "A Constitutional Coup". Kurdish Globe. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  12. ↑ "Iraq's Maliki: I won't quit as condition of US strikes against Isis militants". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  13. ↑ "Why we stuck with Maliki — and lost Iraq". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  14. 1 2 3 "Thousands of protesters break into Baghdad Green Zone". Samaa TV. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "Sadr followers storm into Baghdad's Green Zone, political crisis deepens -". Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  16. ↑ "Hundreds of protesters storm Baghdad's Green Zone: Witnesses". economictimes.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  17. ↑ "Iraqi Shia protesters storm parliament, demand end to corruption". Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  18. ↑ "Latest Trading & Business Videos - Commodity Online". Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  19. ↑ "Anti-corruption protesters storm Baghdad’s Green Zone, enter parliament". RT International. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, May 06, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.