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.
Supporters of Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, protesting against a rival bloc's nomination for prime minister, gather inside the parliament building a day after storming it, Green Zone, Baghdad, Iraq, July 31, 2022.
Supporters of Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, protesting against a rival bloc's nomination for prime minister, gather inside the parliament building a day after storming it, Green Zone, Baghdad, Iraq, July 31, 2022. - Sabah Arar/AFP via Getty Images
Al Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Al-Monitor Staff

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. 

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