Iraq .. Awaiting mass demonstrations in Baghdad amid security alert

Iraqi parties called for massive demonstrations today in Baghdad, with the participation of protesters from other provinces, to condemn the killing of the activists. For their part, the security authorities took strict measures in various parts of the capital, and the Secretary General of the Asaib al-Haq Movement Qais Khazali warned against calling for the demonstrations today.

Activists launched calls to demonstrate in Baghdad and to prepare to enter the Green Zone, in contrast, urged a number of other activists, the demonstrators not to listen to these calls, and demanded that they demonstrate in the Tahrir Square, and not be drawn to what they described as an attempt to give an argument to the security forces to attack the demonstrators, and end the protests under any justification .

Anadolu Agency reported that protesters from the central and southern provinces are flocking to Baghdad to participate in today's demonstrations in order to denounce demonstrators and activists in the recent period.

Muhammad Iqbal, one of the activists in the protests in Baghdad, explained that the Tahrir Square is filled with thousands of protesters, and is scheduled to witness today the largest demonstration against the corrupt and the killing of demonstrators in Baghdad and the provinces, and the official working hours in the country will be disrupted on the occasion of the defeat of the Islamic State.

Karbala protesters
The arrivals from the south of the country were to gather in Karbala as a prelude to heading towards Baghdad, but the security forces and armed tribesmen closed the entrances and exits of the city and allowed only its residents to enter.

The country has witnessed two months ago unprecedented popular protests calling for the departure of the political class, fighting corruption and improving the living conditions of citizens, and since the beginning of the protests, 485 people have been killed and more than 17 thousand wounded, according to statistics prepared by Anatolia, according to official Human Rights Commission figures linked to Parliament and medical and security sources.

Sources said that the central areas of Baghdad, especially the Green Zone, which includes the headquarters of the government and parliament and a number of embassies, are witnessing a great security spread. She added that security forces installed a number of checkpoints that were not previously present.

Ahmed Khalaf, a police officer with the rank of captain, told Anadolu Agency that the Baghdad Operations Command (the army) imposed strict security measures in the capital, especially near the protest areas in the liberation and al-Khalani areas.

Khazali's warning
On the other hand, Khazali, who leads Asaib Ahl al-Haq, one of the factions of the popular crowd, said that the purpose of calling for the demonstrations today is to "inflict the largest possible number of deaths and cause chaos" in Baghdad.

Khazali added in a speech to a youth gathering yesterday, Monday, that what is happening is "a plan designed to burn the country's institutions and destabilize the security situation."

The Hashd factions, especially those close to Iran, are facing accusations of suppressing anti-government popular protests, by masked gunmen and snipers shooting protesters across the country.

Many demonstrators have accused the Hashd militants of being behind the attack that targeted the demonstrators on Friday, during which 25 demonstrators were killed, in the incident known as the "Al-Khilani massacre" (central Baghdad), charges the crowd denies.

External interventions
On the other hand, President of the Republic Barham Salih said that his country is keen that the solutions to the current conditions should be in response to the national decision away from external interference and what he called tampering with the security of Iraq.

Saleh stressed - in a call he received from US Vice President Mike Pines - the need to maintain security, bloodshed and uphold the rule of law and state, in parallel with preserving the right to expression and peaceful protest

For his part, Pines expressed Washington's support for the stability of Iraq and the will of its people to reform, peace and renounce violence, away from foreign interference.

The American embassy in Baghdad issued a warning to its citizens against engaging in the demonstrations, and also asked its citizens to avoid traveling to Iraq under the circumstances in the country. The alert said that the embassy expects to increase the number of demonstrators today, and that clashes will occur.