'Fear factor is broken': protesters demand removal of Iraqi government

Crowds of dissenters in central Baghdad want Iranian influence banished from Iraqi politics

Martin Chulov Middle East correspondent
Fri 1 Nov 2019 18.40 GMT
Last modified on Fri 1 Nov 2019 22.35 GMT

The biggest protest movement in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein has pressed its demand for the removal of the elected government, staring down an embattled political elite and the widespread influence of Iran.

Friday’s rallies of tens of thousands came a day after supporters of Iraq’s embattled leader, Adil Abdul Mahdi, believed they had won the backing of one of two powerful figures that threatened his premiership, a development that appeared to stabilise his position on Thursday.

But the dissenters who thronged central Baghdad on Friday suggested popular opinion, rather than backroom machinations, may determine the fate of the government. The size and momentum of protests has left officials wanting for responses and wrongfooted Tehran, which has not faced a threat to its authority of this scale in Iraq.

“Somehow the fear factor is broken,” said Ayman Sobhe, a student protester speaking by phone from the Iraqi capital. “You can see it in the peoples’ eyes here.”

Central Baghdad’s Tahrir Square was a chaotic scene of flag waving demonstrators battling with security forces on Friday afternoon. Tuk-tuks ferried wounded dissenters under clouds of teargas. Amnesty International this week accused Iraqi security chiefs of using military grade teargas – up to 10 times more powerful than that typically used for crowd control – to try to quell the unrest.

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