BAGHDAD - Demonstrators gathered in Baghdad's Tahrir Square on Sunday to mark the seventh anniversary of Iraq's 2019 Tishreen protests, under heightened security in the nearby Bab Al-Sharqi district, Shafaq News reported. Its correspondent said participants waved Iraqi flags and chanted slogans commemorating the 2019 protest movement, and crowds continued to grow through the day, with gatherings also reported in other Iraqi provinces.
Source: Shafaq News via Hatha Alyoum, Oct 25
Al Jazeera, reporting the same anniversary, said thousands gathered in Tahrir Square to mark seven years since the 2019 'Tishreen' protests, with demonstrators calling for government reform and justice for those killed in the original uprising. Shafaq's own updates put the early gathering in the dozens and later crowds in the hundreds, so crowd-size estimates differ between outlets.
Source: Al Jazeera via Hatha Alyoum, Oct 25
Security was tight around the square. Baghdad Operations Command barred motorcycles and tuk-tuks from the area while keeping access roads open to pedestrians and other vehicles, Shafaq News reported. Owners of printing shops, illuminated-sign businesses and photography studios in Bab Al-Sharqi told Shafaq News on Saturday that security personnel had ordered them to close until the demonstrations ended and warned them against producing anti-government banners or slogans.
Source: Shafaq News via Hatha Alyoum, Oct 25
What is solid
- Sunday's anniversary protests took place in Baghdad and other Iraqi provinces and, in Baghdad, ended with no security incidents reported, according to a security source cited by Shafaq News
- Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi publicly pledged dialogue and action on protesters' demands on the anniversary day
- The 2019 Tishreen movement began over corruption, unemployment and poor public services, per Shafaq News reporting of Amnesty International figures
What is only claimed
- Crowd size: Al Jazeera described thousands gathering in Tahrir Square, while Shafaq News updates described dozens at first and hundreds as crowds grew - no single verified total exists
A prime minister's pledge, and a peaceful end
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi pledged on Sunday to address protesters' demands as the demonstrations marked the anniversary, Shafaq News reported. Al-Zaidi vowed to serve the Iraqi people and keep the government open to 'constructive dialogue in the national interest,' the agency said.
Source: Shafaq News via Hatha Alyoum, Oct 25
By Sunday night, all demonstrators had left Tahrir Square following the conclusion of the protests, a security source told Shafaq News, adding that the demonstration had ended completely with no security incidents reported. Shafaq said demonstrators in Baghdad and other provinces had called for solutions to economic problems and urged Iraq to stay out of regional power rivalries.