Protests in Iraq .. gift poor or revolution revolution?

Imad al-Shammari-Erbil

The images of protesters against the current government and those demanding their departure are similar; after complete despair of "patchy" solutions, false promises and the acquisition of money.

There are fundamental differences this time from the previous protests, and political analyst Dr. Yahya al-Kubaisi that what distinguishes the current demonstrations that they started without any introductions or indicators, and it is noticeable is the age groups that form the core of this movement, they are young people, unlike past demonstrations.

Al-Kubaisi adds that young people see that the corruption of the political class and structural corruption in general leads to the denial of the right to participate in the rent held by the authoritarians, pointing out that the demand for services and infrastructure has remained in the background of the scene demanding the overthrow of the regime.

He also did not go head of the Iraqi Group for Strategic Studies and political analyst Dr. Wathiq al-Hashemi away from Kubaisi, explaining that the government was surprised - like political blocs - out demonstrations, as they were popular calls and through the media, without the sponsorship of well-known partisan parties, as it was Previously, which was called by the leader of the Sadrist movement Muqtada al-Sadr or the Communist Party.

The character of the revolution
Journalist and human rights activist Khaled al-Sakr says the current movement has been a protest against corruption, injustice, low living standards and high levels of horrific unemployment due to the lack of jobs and job opportunities, which have been reduced to groups affiliated with the ruling parties.

The head of the Kurdistan Organization for Human Rights, Dr. Hoshyar Malu, contrasts this by saying that it is neither a poor revolution nor an Arab spring, but a revolution to demand legitimate rights. Its negative impact on Iraqi politics in the eyes of the demonstrators.

Complications and results
Al-Kubaisi says the excessive violence used by security forces against protesters, civilian casualties caused by the use of live bullets and the firing of gas bombs, media blackout, and the use of methods used by authoritarian states such as Internet censorship, counter-propaganda and suspicion and incitement speech accuse the protesters of “Baathists and Saddamists”. The Prime Minister's recent statement departed from this methodology, in which he spoke of "non-peaceful aggressors who raised slogans punishable by law threatening public order and civil peace"; to increase the size and intensity of these demonstrations; to the extent that the authorities To declare a state of curfew in Baghdad and some provinces.

Regarding the expected results of the protests, Al-Kubaisi said, "Despite the unprecedented spread of the current protest movement and the great sympathy I have received from the people, the numbers of participants are still relatively limited, and have not reached the point where they pose a real threat to the regime, so it is difficult to determine the path that can It will take it in the coming weeks, either towards escalation - especially in the context of defending the authority and the site and from parties of a problematic nature, such as armed factions linked to Iran - or toward a gradual fading after the discharge of anger. ”

Legally
As for the position of the law, the legal advisor Dr. Mohammed Jassem Al-Amri said that the government's practices against the demonstrators are punishable offenses as stipulated in the Iraqi constitution of 2005, adding that Article 38 of the Constitution gave the right of Iraqis to demonstrate peacefully.

Al-Amiri asserts that the brutality of the riot forces by using live bullets and killing and injuring hundreds of protesters are murders according to the Iraqi Penal Code No. 111 of 1969; as well as punishable by international laws.

The demonstrations witnessed in Baghdad and the rest of the provinces since the beginning of this month differ from all its predecessors; because they are not supported by any internal political or external; Make them become the criminal's rule.