In the garden of the Iraqi parliament, demonstrators prepare tea on a primitive stove and others distribute watermelons, while Umm Mahdi comes with her four children, determined to stay put until Sadrist leader Muqtada al-Sadr asks the protesters to return to their homes.

And thousands of demonstrators - again Saturday - filled parliament, their goal - they say - to remain "obedient" to al-Sadr.

Al-Sadr is waging a campaign of pressure on his political opponents, rejecting their candidate for prime minister, Muhammad Shia Al-Sudani.

Cooking utensils used by al-Sadr supporters to make food for the protesters (French)

continuation of the sit-in

Supporters of the Sadrist movement say that their goal in the sit-in in Parliament and the demonstrations is to achieve social justice, combat corruption and the lack of public services, in a country that suffers from poor infrastructure, although it is rich in oil.

"When Muqtada al-Sadr decides, we go," says Um Mahdi, dressed in a traditional abaya, holding her baby girl and her nine-year-old son at her side.

The woman who came with her three female relatives also adds: "Obedience to the Master is the most important thing for us in life."

At the entrances to Parliament, demonstrators pitched a tent, while boxes of water were scattered around them.

The demonstrators roamed freely in the place, surrounded by security men who were dealing with the matter normally.

A side of al-Sadr's supporters gathered in front of the parliament entrance (French)

With the start of the night hours yesterday, Saturday, about 10 pickup trucks arrived loaded with water that was placed inside coolers, and watermelons, which were quickly cut and distributed to the demonstrators, while others distributed cooked rice with meat.

At a sidewalk near the park, some protesters gathered around a makeshift stove on which they put a copper jug ​​of tea, and a tall young man stood on the sidewalk selling cigarettes to the protesters.

Some sit on sofas, others choose to sit at tables or lay carpets inside Parliament (French)

Until the repair

The demonstrators reject the candidate for the position of prime minister from among al-Sadr's political opponents within the coordination framework that includes Shiite blocs, most notably the "State of Law" coalition led by former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, and the "Al-Fatah" bloc representing the Popular Mobilization factions.

On the ground floor of the parliament building, protesters chanted religious slogans to coincide with the start of the month of Muharram, which celebrates the anniversary of the martyrdom of Hussein bin Ali.

"I left my home and my family" to participate in the sit-in, says Zainab Hussein, from inside parliament, wearing a traditional black cloak and a white shroud on her shoulders.

The woman repeats the reasons that make her upset, and millions of Iraqis share them, including - she says - the lack of water, electricity, schools and hospitals, and she adds, asking, "Why is there no electricity in Iraq? Where do the oil bounties go?"

In the vicinity of Parliament, demonstrators sat on the grass and under trees (French)

fight corruption

Inside Parliament, some protesters sat on luxurious sofas, while others chose to sit at wooden tables or spread blue and red carpets that covered the floor.

In the streets around Parliament within the heavily fortified Green Zone, demonstrators sat on the grass, or some walked to pass the time.

The demonstrators see Muqtada al-Sadr as an opposition symbol and an anti-corruption figure, denouncing other parties that have taken power since 2003, knowing that many of his loyalists occupy important positions in ministries.

A side of the Sadrist movement's sit-in in the parliament's main hall (Reuters)

Sayed Haidar, 35, who comes from the popular Al-Sadr neighborhood in the capital, says that "corruption permeates all state departments," adding, "Any poor, simple person cannot reach the state or the ministry unless he is linked to a political party."

He emphasized "obedience" to Muqtada al-Sadr, and stressed that he was participating in the sit-in, awaiting "instructions." He believed that al-Sadr is "the only person who defends the poor today in Iraq."