State of Emergency Declared in Baghdad as Protesters Take Iraqi Parliament

April 30th, 2016

Update: Protesters Leave Baghdad’s Green

Via: CNN:

Protesters who stormed Baghdad’s Green Zone retreated Sunday but organizers say the challenge to Iraq’s leadership isn’t over yet.

Via: Washington Post:

Protesters stormed Iraq’s parliament Saturday in a dramatic culmination of months of demonstrations, casting uncertainty over the tenure of the country’s prime minister and the foundations of the political system laid in place after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

Security forces declared a state of emergency in the Iraqi capital after demonstrators climbed over blast walls and broke through cordons to enter Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, also home to ministries and the U.S. embassy. Many were followers of Iraq’s powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who has been urging his supporters onto the streets.

Lawmakers fled the building in panic, with some berated and struck as they left. Others were trapped in the basement for hours, too afraid to face the crowds who complain that the country’s political class is racked by corruption.

One Response to “State of Emergency Declared in Baghdad as Protesters Take Iraqi Parliament”

  1. Dennis says:

    I expect them to shift the Green Zone to Babil.

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