Hundreds of Iraqi demonstrators, mostly supporters of Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr on Wednesday stormed the heavily fortified parliament building in Baghdad to protest against the nomination for prime minister by rival Iran-backed parties.
The protesters were opposing the candidacy of Mohammed Shia al-Sudani for the post of prime minister, as they believe him to be too close to Iran. al-Sudani is a former minister and ex-provincial governor and is nominated for the prime minister’s post on behalf of the Coordination Framework.
Visuals from the site showed protestors singing and dancing and one person was seen lying on the desk of the speaker of the Iraqi parliament.
No lawmakers were present and only security forces were inside the building as protestors barged in, reported Al Jazeera.
However, after a few hours of protest, al-Sadr issued a statement on Twitter telling them their message had been received, and ‘to return safely’ to their homes, signalling there would be no further escalation of the sit-in, Al Jazeera reported.
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi also called on the protesters to ‘immediately withdraw’ from the closely-guarded Green Zone, which is home to government buildings and diplomatic missions.
In a statement, he warned that security forces would see to ‘the protection of state institutions and foreign missions, and prevent any harm to security and order’.
Shortly after, protesters began making their way out of the parliament building with security forces supervising.
