The Slatest

Baghdad in State of Emergency After Protesters Storm Parliament

Iraqi protesters wave national flags as they gather inside the parliament after breaking into Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone on April 30, 2016.  

HAIDAR MOHAMMED ALI/AFP/Getty Images

Hundreds of protesters burst through Baghdad’s Green Zone and parliament building on Saturday demanding government reform and escalating a political crisis that has been brewing in the country for months. The protests appear to have been sparked by a fiery speech from Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who has been calling on his followers to push for reform in the government to tackle corruption.

Sadr has been speaking up against Iraqi leaders for months and has been warning that his supporters would enter the Green Zone if the government failed to move forward with political reform efforts. In a televised speech, Sadr said he was “waiting for the great popular uprising and the major revolution to stop the march of the corrupt.”

Although the initial protests were largely peaceful, security forces did end up firing teargas to prevent more demonstrators from entering the Green Zone. So far though there are no signs the protesters have any plans to end their demonstration and many set up tents outside Parliament.

Iraqi protesters open a breach in a concrete wall surrounding the parliament after breaking into Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone on April 30, 2016.  

HAIDAR MOHAMMED ALI/AFP/Getty Images

For many, merely being inside the Green Zone was a sign of protest. The New York Times explains:

To Iraqis who have lived through the reign of Saddam Hussein, the American occupation and the current turmoil, the Green Zone has long symbolized tyranny, occupation and corruption. Above all, it has been a sign of the separation between ordinary people and a ruling elite unresponsive to the aspirations of Iraq’s citizens.

The political crisis that has engulfed Iraq’s rulers is not only hindering the fight against ISIS but is also holding back any potential solutions to the country’s economic woes, which are largely caused by the global plunge in oil prices. The large protests on Saturday have naturally raised doubts about whether Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi will be able to stay in power and move forward with his efforts to reform the country’s politics.