Thousands of angry protesters broke into Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone on Saturday and stormed the Iraqi parliament building after lawmakers again failed to approve new ministers.
Jubilant supporters of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr invaded the main session hall, shouting slogans glorifying their leader and claiming that they had rooted out corruption.
The Iraqi capital was already on high alert for a major Shiite pilgrimage, participants in which were targeted in a bombing that killed 23 on Saturday, but extra security measures were taken after protesters stormed the Green Zone.
"You are not staying here! This is your last day in the Green Zone," shouted one protester as thousands broke in.
Besides the parliament compound, the restricted area in central Baghdad houses the presidential palace, the prime minister's office and several embassies, including those of the United States and Britain.
Protesters attached cables to the tops of heavy concrete blast walls that surround the Green Zone, pulling them down to create an opening, an AFP journalist said.
They then headed to parliament, where some rampaged through the building and broke into offices, while other protesters shouted "peacefully, peacefully" and tried to contain the destruction, another AFP reporter said.
Security forces were present but did not try to prevent the demonstrators from entering the parliament building, the reporter said.
Chaos in parliament
Protesters pulled barbed wire across a road leading to one of the exits of the Green Zone, effectively preventing some scared lawmakers from fleeing the chaos.
They also attacked and damaged several vehicles they believed belonged to lawmakers.
Inside the main hall where lawmakers failed to reach a quorum earlier in the day, protesters sat in the MPs' seats taking "selfies" and shouting slogans.
One protester called a friend on his mobile: "I am sitting in (parliament speaker) Salim al-Juburi's chair, I have a meeting, we'll talk later."
"We are the ones running this country now, the time of the corrupt is over," said another protester, as crowds filled rooms throughout the building.
Parliament failed to reach a quorum on Saturday after approving some of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's ministerial nominees earlier in the week.
The Green Zone unrest kicked off as Sadr ended a news conference in the holy Shiite city of Najaf during which he condemned the political deadlock.
He had threatened to have his supporters storm the Green Zone last month, but did not order them to enter the area in his Saturday address.
The politicians "refused to end corruption and refused to end quotas", Sadr said, adding that he and his supporters would not participate in "any political process in which there are any type... of political party quotas."
Key government posts have for years been shared out based on political and sectarian quotas, a practice demonstrators want to end.
Baghdad on high alert
Abadi's efforts to change the system have been opposed by powerful political parties that rely on control of ministries for patronage and funds.
According to officials in the interior ministry, the main entrances to Baghdad were temporarily closed.
Special security measures were also taken around sensitive sites in the capital, including the central bank and the international airport.
Security forces had already been on high alert across Baghdad as tens of thousands of Shiite faithful converged on the city for an annual commemoration.
Both Washington and the United Nations have warned that the political crisis could distract from the fight against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group.
A car bomb that exploded earlier on Saturday in the Nahrawan area near Baghdad killed at least 23 people and wounded at least 38, security and medical officials said.
It struck a road used by pilgrims walking to the shrine of Imam Musa Kadhim in northern Baghdad, officials said.
IS, which considers Shiites to be heretics, claimed the attack and said it was carried out by a suicide bomber who detonated a vehicle laden with three tonnes of explosives.
Kadhim, the seventh of 12 imams revered in Shiite Islam, died in 799 AD. The pilgrimage has in recent years turned into a huge event that brings the capital to a standstill for days.
Iraqi forces backed by US-led military assistance have regained significant ground from IS, which overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014.
But the jihadists still control a large part of western Iraq, and are able to carry out frequent attacks against both civilians and security forces in government-held areas.
AFP
Sat Apr 30 2016
According to officials in the interior ministry, the main entrances to Baghdad were temporarily closed.
Wanita cedera diragut ketika tunggang motosikal ke tempat kerja
Mangsa dilapor alami kerugian kira-kira RM3,000 selepas kehilangan beg yang berisi telefon bimbit jenis iPhone 14, dokumen peribadi dan wang tunai RM114.
"OIC dah tak bermakna, tak berguna dalam meredakan ketegangan"
Pandangan dikongsi Prof Dr Salawati Mat Basir, Pakar undang-undang antarabangsa, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
Perkembangan konflik Iran-Israel
Bagi perinciannya kita bersama Prof. Dr. Mohd Roslan Mohd Nor, Ketua Jabatan Sejarah dan Tamdun Islam, Universiti Malaya, UM.
Program Madani Rakyat Zon Utara di Tapak Pesta Sungai Nibong 3-5 Mei
Program MADANI Rakyat 2024 Zon Utara akan diadakan di Tapak Pesta Sungai Nibong, Pulau Pinang selama tiga hari bermula 3 Mei ini.
Malaysia kecewa AS veto, halang PBB iktiraf negara Palestin
Pelaksanaan veto ke atas perkara penting dan signifikan itu telah menimbulkan persoalan terhadap keinginan sebenar Ahli UNSC.
[TERKINI] Israel Serang Iran, Isfahan dibedil 3 letupan
Perkembangan konflik Iran-Israel
Bagi perinciannya kita bersama Ahli Kumpulan bagi Pertubuhan Perundingan Undang-undang Asia Afrika (AALCO), Profesor Datuk Dr Rahmat Mohamad.
[TERKINI] Malaysia zahir kebimbangan dengan kegagalan Majlis PBB mengiktiraf Palestin
Malaysia bimbang dan berasa amat kecewa susulan penggunaan veto di Majlis Keselamatan Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (UNSC) untuk menghalang kemasukan Palestin sebagai Anggota Penuh Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) pada 18 April 2024, walaupun terdapat sokongan daripada sebahagian besar Negara-Negara Anggota PBB.
Konsert Aina Abdul penanda aras baharu MPO - Konduktor
Kehebatan vokal penyanyi bersuara lunak dan lantang, Aina Abdul dalam menyanyikan lagu berentak genre balada sehingga mampu membuai emosi pendengar, sememangnya tidak dapat disangkalkan lagi.
Israel mungkin akan serang negara lain berdekatan Iran - Pakar
Pandangan dikongsi Prof Dr Salawati Mat Basir, Pakar undang-undang antarabangsa, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
COVID-19: Banduan Kluster Penjara Reman mula sembuh
Pengarah Penjara Reman Pulau Pinang Mohamed Jusoh Ismail ketika dihubungi berkata, mereka kini ditempatkan dalam blok khas di pusat rawatan dalam penjara.