The protesters -- followers of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr -- pledged to hold an open-ended sit-in to derail efforts by their rivals from Iran-backed political groups to form the country's next government. Their demands are lofty: early elections, constitutional amendments and the ouster of al-Sadr's rivals.
It was a scene starkly different from the one on Saturday, when protesters used ropes and chains to topple concrete walls around the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, then flooded into the assembly building. It was the second such breach last week, but this time they did not disperse peacefully.
Neither side appears willing to concede and al-Sadr seems intent on derailing government formation efforts by the Iran-backed groups. Outside, garbage from food packages and other trash littered the street leading up to the parliament gate while trucks brought in giant cauldrons of steaming rice and beans to feed the protesters. Signs nearby read: "Revolution Restaurant"
One protester, Haidar Jameel assumed the seat of Parliament Speaker Mohammed Halbousi -- among the most powerful political figures in Iraq -- and from it, looked on at his rowdy fellow demonstrators. After al-Sadr's followers took over the parliament, Halbousi had suspended future sessions until further notice.Al-Sadr's support base consists largely of impoverished Iraqis living in the slums of Baghdad, attracted by calls against corruption.
According to Shiite religious belief, one way of showing love toward Imam Hussein is to rise against oppression.
Looks like a job for a J30 committee.
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