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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.
A woman searches for a gift for Valentine's Day at a gift shop in Mosul, Iraq February 13, 2019. Picture taken February 13, 2019. REUTERS/Khalid al-Mousily - RC18AACF06B0

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.

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