Everything You Need to Know About the Protests in Iraq
The protest movement convulsing Iraq is a heroic revolt powered by unemployed, precarious, and informal workers. Their aim is to overturn the entire political system, which has produced nothing but violence and poverty for the vast majority of Iraqis.
A building is set ablaze near Ahrar Bridge, where there have been recent clashes between demonstrators and Iraq security forces, on November 24, 2019 in Baghdad, Iraq. Erin Trieb / Getty
On September 22, a small group of civil activists in Iraq called for a protest on October 1. They had no idea the kind of rebellion they would spark.
The call echoed through various social media platforms, in part inspired by Egyptian businessman Mohamed Ali’s plea for an uprising against Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s corrupt dictatorship. The activists’ call was seconded by the Al-Hikma Islamic Current, an Islamic Shia political organization, which insisted on the need for protests against “the government’s bad performance.”
The established parties responded discordantly. The Ba’athists announced they would return to power by seizing the opportunity of the impending protest. Maverick cleric Muqtada al-Sadr commented that the end of the current government was near. The Worker-Communist Party of Iraq (WCPI) warned the masses against participating in what it saw as protests organized by the Islamic parties.
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