Iraq celebrates Valentine's Day with red balloons, slogans
Baghdad turned red on Valentine's Day with celebrations of love, defying Muqtada al-Sadr’s call to separate men and women in the rallies.
With red teddy bears, heart-shaped balloons, roses and Iraqi flags, Baghdad’s streets embraced Valentine’s Day in a festive atmosphere despite the four-month-long unrest and civil protests.
Early in the morning, hundreds of Iraqis of all ages flocked to Tahrir Square, Baghdad’s iconic protest hub, to celebrate the Love Revolution Festival that was announced days ago on social media.
The festival aimed to emphasize “unity among people” despite the death toll of over 600 ever since Iraqis took to the streets Oct. 1 to demand governmental change.
The festival included a large bazaar to sell paintings, artwork and handcrafts. It also hosted a common lunch where people sat down and lunched along a 1.5-kilometer-long path right in the middle of graffiti and murals in al-Saadoun tunnel and al-Khullani Square.
