Protesters breach Iraq Parl building, oppose Iran-backed PM nominee

Baghdad, July 30

Thousands of followers of an influential Shiite cleric breached Iraq’s Parliament on Saturday, for the second time this week, to protest government formation efforts led by his rivals, an alliance of Iran-backed groups. The alliance called for counter-protests, raising the spectre of civil strife.

Iraqi security forces initially used tear gas and sound bombs to repel the demonstrators and caused several injuries. Once inside, the protesters declared an open-ended sit-in and claimed they would not disperse until their demands were met.

As the numbers inside Parliament swelled, the police backed off. An expected session did not take place on Saturday and there were no lawmakers in the hall. By late afternoon, the Ministry of Health said about 125 persons had been injured in the violence — 100 civilians and 25 security personnel. Heeding the calls of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, the demonstrators used ropes to pull down cement barricades leading to the gate of Iraq’s Green Zone, which houses government buildings and embassies.

Al-Sadr resorted to using his large grassroots following as a pressure tactic against his rivals after his party was unable to form a government, despite having won the largest number of seats in the federal elections last October. — AP