For months, the country has been rocked by anti-power demonstrations, recently coupled with a crisis between the United States and Iran. In the center of all these events, a man occupies the front of the scene: Moqtada al-Sadr, the big winner of the legislative elections of 2018. This powerful Shiite leader stood out once again, Friday January 24, by organizing huge rallies in the streets of Baghdad to demand the departure of the 5,200 American soldiers stationed in Iraq.
A few hours later, he withdrew his support for anti-power demonstrations, which he had largely defended in the past four months. He then indicated on Twitter that he would no longer be involved in the movement and his supporters, who had supported the protest until then, dismantled their tents installed since October in Baghdad.
France 24 went to Sadr City, east of Baghdad, where the portrait of this political leader is displayed on every street corner. His supporters logically support his political choices and believe that he has enough influence in the country to push American troops to leave Iraqi soil.
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