Al-Haboubi Square ... a symbol of demonstrations and protests in Iraq

Alaa Kole-Nasiriyah

With its rounded green space and a tall statue that mediates the heart of Nasiriyah, Habboubi Square represents the most prominent and well-known square that Iraqis have known for nearly five decades, as it has gone beyond being just a square and a monument, to being a revolutionary symbol around which the oppressed and those claiming their rights have wrapped around for years.

The statue of Sayyid al-Haboubi was constructed on it in 1971, and the sculptor, Abd al-Ridha Kechish, completed the statue, where the distinguished square in central Nasiriyah today gave her a great historical symbolism, after the mark Muhammad Saeed Al-Haboubi, a poet, cleric, and revolutionary leader against the British occupation during the First World War, was chosen.

Memories and protests
Al-Haboubi Street leading to the square was previously called Akad Al-Hawa Street (Love Street) and it is one of the most famous streets of the old city, which was associated with the memories of the residents who lived their childhood there, and after the statue was erected and the square was built in its current form, it gained a new name, where it was named the street, the square and some buildings And government institutions grain.

Hassan Ali Khalaf, the historian, researcher and resident of the old city in Nasiriyah, says he still remembers the first beginnings of this square and how it has become today from a major urban development, as it was the most prominent place for people to gather since the end of the fifties.

He adds to Al-Jazeera Net that the statue of Al-Haboubi is a symbol and one of the features of the city of Nasiriyah, since the founding and construction of the square and the status of the statue therein, as it was linked to the memory of the man who spent his life fighting the British and became a symbol of protest against injustice for generations.

Al-Haboubi Square and the street that extended to it were a beautiful memory, as the surrounding residents got used to the hustle and bustle of demonstrations, says Mustafa Al-Aboudi to Al-Jazeera Net, who lives near the square, explaining that despite the security barriers and the difficulty of movement, things are going well.

Miscellaneous activities
Khalaf states that the square has always embraced celebrations, activities and demonstrations of the people of Nasiriyah, starting from the 1958 revolution to the coups of 1963 and 1968, and the demonstrations of the parties, headed by the Communist Party and its opposition to the dictatorial regime, and also witnessed protests against the war with Iran until the present time and the start of the October Youth Revolution October 2019.

The scene also witnessed since the beginning of the start of the national protests against foreign interventions at the time, as citizens and students were demonstrating in it on many national issues, Khalaf says.

It was also an eternal struggle from the beginning of the founding of the city - according to Khalaf - where she was an eyewitness to the demonstrations and struggles of the Communists, the Ba'athists and the Islamists throughout time periods, and also witnessed the struggle of the owners of capital and gain, and finally embraced the revolutionary youth in October who made it a militant monument and a symbol Luminous revolutionary.

Why the Habboubi Square?
Al-Haboubi Square represents the appropriate place for the demonstrators of Nasiriyah, as it is the point on which everyone agrees, and no one disagrees with it in raising his voice to claim his right, as Al-Haboubi is a leader of a revolution and protests against the conditions of his country, and the youth came out in their current protests as Al-Haboubi came out a hundred years ago, says activist Laith Al-Amel.

The worker adds - to Al-Jazeera Net - that the feature of Al-Haboubi Square is that it collects the items of people and is located near the vendors, doctors and photographers, so when there is a demonstration, people gather to demand rights in general.

The square has turned into an icon, and it is one of the ways to emphasize the general public identity of the protest itself, among a large group that tries to confirm its existence through the generally agreed titles, says activist Alaa Al-Yasiri to Al-Jazeera Net.

It is as if these young men say, "Those who have attendance in these arenas are the loudest voice," he added.

And the historic Al-Haboubi Square constitutes a "bright spot in the history of our afflicted city, and it is the most inspiring place for us demonstrators in Nasiriyah, from which protests condemning everything negative harms the country," says Imad Al-Haddad, an activist in the demonstrations.

Hot events
Since last October, the square was the most prominent place for the protests that started in the province, and since its first days, there have been clashes between security services and demonstrators, in which dozens of people were injured.

On October 25 and the demonstrations returning again, the square turned into a new center of steadfastness, according to activist Imad Al-Haddad, after the youth erected sit-in tents, which are still filling the square for more than a hundred days.

The nearby street on the Haboubi Square near the Education Directorate witnessed violent confrontations between riot police and protesters, on November 10, which resulted in more than 83 wounded between the security forces and the demonstrators, after shooting and tear gas.

On November 16, the square was subjected to a test after detonating a homemade device, which was placed inside a tent for the protesters. A demonstrator was killed and 12 others were wounded, and the tent was completely destroyed.

The most prominent event that Al-Haboubi Square witnessed being attacked by unknown persons on the 7th of this month, they fired directly at the protesters inside the square. The result was the killing of one protester and wounding nearly seven people, and more than five tents were burned.

As a result, the protesters' tents increased in the square and were along the road leading to it and from all directions, to ensure that the protesters continued their protest until the demands were met.