Protesters in Iraq invaded parliament

In the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, the demonstrators stormed the parliament building. A short while ago, the crowd stormed the heavily secured Green Zone, the official Iraqi News Agency reported today. The security forces initially tried to disperse the crowd. There were also reports of injuries.

Thousands of supporters of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr gathered in the heavily guarded area that houses parliament and several embassies. Among other things, they demonstrated against the candidacy of former minister Muhammad Shia Al-Sudani for the position of Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Khademi and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces called on the demonstrators to immediately withdraw from the House of Representatives and the Green Zone.

Iraq suffers from many crises

A power struggle has erupted in Iraq since the parliamentary elections last October. Al-Sadr’s list won the largest number of seats. The cleric tried to form a majority government, but recently withdrew from Parliament with deputies from his party.

Many Iraqis now distrust politics after the oil-rich country has been grappling with economic and political crises for years.