Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Politics
Al Jazeera

Is people-power emerging in Iraq?

Is people-power emerging in Iraq?

After months of relatively peaceful protests, anti-government demonstrations in Baghdad have turned violent.

A state of emergency was declared across the Iraqi capital following the storming of the Green Zone.

The heavily fortified area, home to government headquarters and foreign embassies, has been closed to most Iraqis for 13 years.

On Saturday, angry citizens tore down walls, called government leaders corrupt and cowardly, and demanded their immediate resignation.

The demonstrators said they were tired of waiting for Haider al-Abadi, the prime minister, to follow through on his promise to form a new government.

Can they help end the political crisis? Or will they make it worse?

Presenter: Fauziah Ibrahim

Guests:

Dhiaa al-Asadi - Iraqi MP and Head of Al Sadr's Al Ahrar Parliamentary Bloc.

Ghassan al-Atiyyah - Head of the Iraqi National Initiative and Author of The Making of Iraq.

Patrick Cockburn - Middle East correspondent for The Independent newspaper and author of Muqtada: Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia Revival and the Struggle for Iraq.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.