BAGHDAD – At least 60 demonstrators were hurt after battling with police officers in central Baghdad’s Green Zone on Saturday, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Health.
According to local media, security personnel fired tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets to disperse thousands of demonstrators who burst into the parliament building for the second time this week.
Supporters of Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr went to the capital’s Tahrir Square on Saturday to protest the candidacy of Mohammed Al-Sudani as Iraq’s new prime minister, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
According to the INA, the demonstrators broke the hardened walls surrounding the Green Zone. Several government buildings and diplomatic missions are housed in the capital’s highly protected Green Zone.
Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi asked security forces to protect demonstrators and protesters to refrain from using violence, stressing that clashes would only exacerbate the situation, according to INA.
“Continued political escalation raises tensions and serves no purpose in the public interest.” “The security forces have a responsibility to safeguard official institutions and have highlighted the importance of taking all lawful means to maintain order,” Al-Khadimi said in a statement.
Protests have been underway in the capital since Wednesday, despite multiple pleas from Al-Kadhimi for demonstrators to “immediately withdraw,” according to INA.
The prolonged elections have exacerbated the country’s economic troubles, which have been exacerbated by the months-long political impasse.
Source: Arab News
