Rival Shiite forces flex muscles in two protests in Baghdad
Speaker of the Iraqi parliament Mohammed al-Halbusi suspended parliament in response to Sadrist protesters who have occupied the Green Zone, closing down for now the prospects of a government formation.
Baghdad today witnessed protests organized by two rival Shiite groups: the Sadrist Movement and the Coordination Framework.
The Sadrists (named after their leader, Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr) are occupying the parliament inside the Green Zone, where most of state buildings and foreign embassies are located.
Supporters of the Coordination Framework, which includes pro-Iran parties and militias, demonstrated in Jadriya area close to the suspension bridge that leads to the Green Zone. However, they did not enter the Green Zone in order to avoid confrontation with the Sadrists.
Prior to the protests, several Iraqi leaders — including Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds and even minorities — issued statements calling for calm and de-escalation in order to open a national dialogue between the two rival Shiite groups.
