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Thousands of supporters of populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr stormed Baghdad’s fortified government zone on Saturday for the second time in a week, escalating a political stand-off that is hitting ordinary Iraqis hardest.
Protesters rallied by Sadr and his social-political Sadrist Movement tore down concrete barriers and entered the Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign missions, heading for Iraq’s parliament, a Reuters witness said.
The scenes followed similar protests on Wednesday, although this time several protesters and police officers were hurt as Sadr’s supporters threw stones and police fired teargas and stun grenades, according to security officials and medics.
Sadr’s party came first in a general election in October but he withdrew his lawmakers from parliament when he failed to form a government which excluded his rivals, mostly groups backed by Iran.