(Baghdad) Several dozen people were injured in Baghdad on Friday during clashes between the security forces and supporters of pro-Iran groups, who demonstrated against the results of the legislative elections, marked by a decline in the political showcase of these factions.
This fit of fever comes as Iraqi political parties are engaged in negotiations to form parliamentary coalitions on the basis of the preliminary results of the October 10 election, the final figures of which should be published within a few weeks.
The Alliance of Conquest, the political showcase of Hachd al-Chaabi, an influential coalition of former paramilitaries, saw its number of seats melt at the end of the vote and denounce a “massive fraud”.
The situation seemed to calm down little by little on Friday evening. In the afternoon, several hundred supporters of Hachd al-Chaabi first “blocked three of the four accesses to the green zone”, an ultra-protected sector of the capital where government buildings and the American embassy are located, a indicated a source within the security forces who requested anonymity.
Repelled by the police, they threw “stones and all kinds of objects” in the direction of the police, said the same source according to which the police “shot in the air”.
The Ministry of Health reported 125 injured, including 27 demonstrators and 98 members of the security forces, adding that “no deaths” were to be deplored.
On Telegram, some pro-Iran channels claimed that the police had fired “live ammunition” at the demonstrators. And a leader of the Hezbollah brigades, a pro-Iran faction member of Hachd al-Chaabi, told AFP on condition of anonymity that “two protesters were killed.”
According to AFP journalists on the spot, security forces were deployed in large numbers on the outskirts of the green zone which houses the prime minister’s office, several ministries and the electoral commission.
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kazimi “ordered a full investigation into Friday’s events,” his office said.
According to the security source, the protesters were members of the Hezbollah brigades and Assaïb Ahl al-Haq, another pro-Iran faction that is part of Hachd al-Chaabi.
No to fraud
The Hachd is a pro-Iran coalition of former paramilitaries integrated into the regular forces, one of the leitmotifs of which is the departure of American troops from Iraq.
Some Iraqis accuse them of being the relay of the great Iranian neighbor. Some have also pointed the finger at them when after the revolt of October 2019, dozens of anti-power activists were victims of kidnappings, assassinations and attempted assassinations.
Several hundred Hachd supporters began a sit-in near the green zone on October 19 to denounce the preliminary results of the legislative elections.
Again on Friday, some demonstrators waved banners on which could be read: “No to fraud! “And” Yes to the people! “.
Despite its rout, the Hachd will remain an important political force in Parliament, thanks to the game of alliances and the co-optation of independent elected representatives.
Still according to the preliminary results, the Sadrist current led by the influential Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr won first place in the legislative elections, with more than 70 seats out of the 329 in Parliament.
On Twitter, Moqtada Sadr wanted to be soothing about the clashes on Friday, rejecting “violence”, whether it comes from demonstrators or the police.