In a tent that protesters have turned into a makeshift library for the main protest site in Basra, Iraqi youth gather around a feast to nurture thought, delight in spirit and self-entertainment that includes a few hundred books.
The library was built with the efforts of a group of young volunteers who see reading as the best way for protesters to spend in their tents during their spare time.
One of the members of the team that runs the library, Abdullah Al-Sudani, said that Basra residents liked the idea, so they donated about 400 books that satisfy tastes and satisfy desires, and cover various fields of culture, religion, politics and society.
"The idea came from a group of young people ... We used to see that the sit-in square lacked cultural, political and social awareness, so we thought about a way to spread awareness among the youth, especially the sit-in protesters in Basra," he said.
"The book is a food for the soul and a moral boost," said one of the visitors to the library, Fakher Haider, adding that many people in the sit-in squares have free time, so it is better to fill it with reading.
Another, Ali Awi, said, "While we are in this place, the first thing we do: a revolution against corruption and against parties, and against the devastation in the country." Then, young people need places that demonstrate the sophistication of the people here, and show their culture and awareness.
The library initiative - dubbed "Revolution and Book" - was founded last month, and volunteers take turns managing it.