On the first anniversary of its launch ... what have the Iraqi demonstrations achieved and are they renewed?

Ahmed Al-Dabbagh - Al-Jazeera Net

Tomorrow, October 1, marks the first anniversary of the start of popular demonstrations in Iraq, which were considered the largest since the US invasion of the country in 2003, and launched from Tahrir Square in central Baghdad and expanded to include the central and southern governorates.

The activist in the capital, Baghdad, Hussein Ali, says that the demonstrations came far from the mobilization of political parties and their desires, but rather turned the equations of the political process in the country, and transformed the Iraqi collective thought and its processes from one state to another.

Speaking to Al-Jazeera Net, Ali says that with the start of the demonstrations, no one expected that they would expand to the extent that they had become, which indicated that the Iraqi people of all sects became fed up with the political class that plundered the country and made it an arena for regional and international conflicts.

In light of what has been achieved of the protesters' demands a year after the demonstrations, Ali considered that the main objectives of the protests have not been achieved, indicating that their renewal will inevitably come.

Regarding the amount of violence the demonstrations faced, he commented that the security forces and armed groups did not provide any means to suppress them, as various weapons and repressive methods were used that killed thousands of people and wounded.

Al-Bayati: Investigations proved that security formations assaulted the demonstrators, and the government did not take any measures for accountability (Al-Jazeera)

Numbers of victims

Large numbers of dead and injured people were killed during the months-long demonstrations, and their intensity only diminished with the outbreak of the Corona virus last March.

According to Ali Al-Bayati, a member of the Human Rights Commission - which follows the Iraqi parliament - the final death toll reached 560, including 18 members of the security forces, with a large number of wounded more than 24,000, including nearly 5,000 soldiers.

Regarding the suppression of demonstrations, Al-Bayati reveals - in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net - that the Commission's investigations have proven the existence of an attack by the security formations on the demonstrators, without taking any effective government measures to hold those involved accountable so far.

For his part, the head of the Parliament's Human Rights Committee, Arshad al-Salihi, confirmed to Al-Jazeera Net that the number of deaths during the demonstrations exceeded 600, and that the similar repression exposed Iraq to great accountability from the Human Rights Council and international organizations.

Agwan: The demonstrations added a dimension of social cohesion across components and sects (Al-Jazeera)

Pros and Cons

Many experts and analysts agree that the demonstrations had great positive aspects, as Professor of Political Science Dr. Ali Agwan says that they added another dimension represented in the cross-sectarian social cohesion, which led to positive societal transformations that disturbed some political blocs that are still trying to work according to The old methodology you live on.

Agwan - in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net - adds that the October demonstrations established a leap stage for sectarianism, especially since the civil society of the demonstrations was established through the throes of 17 years of rule by the current political class.

Although the demonstrations have not fully achieved their aspirations, Agwan believes that these moves have removed the first line of pre-2003 opponents, as all those who held power in the country over the past years were leaders of the first row of parties opposing the regime of the late President Saddam Hussein, and that he The current stage can be described as the rebirth of a political class far from the effects of the psychological reality of the personalities who ruled the country.

The protests include deaths and injuries (Reuters)

Achievements

As for the deputy in the Iraqi parliament, Hussein Arab - a spokesman for the "Iraqis" bloc, which is a coalition of a group of political components - for his part, he believes that the most prominent achievement of the demonstrations is the replacement of Adel Abdul Mahdi's government, holding some corrupt members accountable, and changing the election law.

And he considered that the demonstrations provided a favorable opportunity for Iraq to get out of the "abhorrent" political options and the political stalemate that lasted for years, stressing that Iraq is witnessing the birth of a new political contract.

As for the negatives that accompanied the demonstrations, Arabs confirm - in his interview with Al-Jazeera Net - that the demonstrations witnessed the entry of some infiltrators who destroyed some public and private property, and this is what the demonstrators must address and not allow so that their revolution is not contaminated in the event of a renewal.

Returning to Arshad al-Salihi, he indicates that the demonstrations are more positive than negative, especially as they established a stage in which Iraqis will not be silent on any political system that violates their rights and steals their money, pointing out that the message was clear that the situation in Iraq after the demonstrations will not return to what It was in previous years by no means.

For his part, journalist Majid Abdel Hamid believes that the most prominent positive aspect of the demonstrations was that they started from a group of activists who were not organized, but they were able to expand and perpetuate them for months.

Speaking to Al-Jazeera Net, Abdul Hamid believes that the first cry of the demonstrations indicated that the youth of Iraq were aware and aware of the political situation in the country, as if they were experienced in politics, as they mastered the political and security maneuver in all its details.

Al-Jubouri considered that the demonstrations achieved many achievements (Al-Jazeera)

Security gain

And many security experts point out that there are many advantages that the Iraqi demonstrations have achieved.

According to the security and strategic expert, Maan al-Jubouri, the first thing that the demonstrators achieved was that - for the first time in the history of Iraq - a civilian force was able to overthrow the worst Iraqi government after 2003, represented by the government of Adel Abdul Mahdi and remove it from the equation.

He pointed out that the current Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, came from outside the religious parties that tightened their control of the reins of power, and that the demonstrators were still exerting pressure on the government and parliament, in a political precedent that the Iraqis had not witnessed over the past decades.

Among the gains of the security demonstrations - according to al-Jubouri - that they established a phase of restricting weapons in the hands of the state, although the journey has just begun and may take a long time for the government to be able to limit it, in addition to that it limited the activity of armed groups, noting that the government began to impose Its control over the country's border outlets.

Al-Salhi: The country's constitution guaranteed Iraqis to take out peaceful demonstrations to demand their rights (Al-Jazeera)

Renewed demonstrations

Al-Jubouri believes that the spark of the demonstrations will not be extinguished soon, but it will not be at the same pace as it was, attributing that to the fact that Iraq is witnessing a widespread outbreak of the Corona virus, as well as some parties exploiting this and winning some activists and influencers in favor of their party orientations.

Returning to Agwan, he believes that there is an opportunity to renew the demonstrations with the arrival of the first anniversary of them, but it will be from other starting points in sending messages to political blocs that are trying to tamper with the election law, which has not yet been voted on.

Agwan believes that the next six months will not witness demonstrations against the Al-Kazemi government, especially since the current circumstance is completely different from the last year, as both the demonstrators and the government are currently affected by the armed factions that may drag the country into the unknown with the recent US warnings.

Arshad al-Salihi also stressed that the country's constitution guaranteed Iraqis to go out in peaceful demonstrations to demand their rights, provided that public and private property is not damaged, and that the government and its security services must provide protection for them.

Al-Jazeera Net tried to contact many political parties, but they declined to comment on the matter.

It seems that the government position is still awaiting what might happen, especially after some media outlets revealed, through leaks, the intention of some armed parties and factions, elements including the upcoming demonstrations on the first anniversary of the October Revolution, to change their compass and direct them to demand the departure of US forces from Iraq and attack Al-Kazemi government.