Iraqis mark 7th anniversary of 2019 Tishreen Uprising

Iraqis marking the the seventh anniversary of the 2019 Tishreen (October) Uprising in Iraq. Photo: Channel8 News Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Thousands of Iraqis gathered on Sunday in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square and southern provinces to mark the seventh anniversary of the 2019 Tishreen (October) Uprising. Major centers, including Baghdad, Najaf, Nasiriyah, and Basra saw a resurgence of protests, with activists bringing national and local problems back to the scene. Activists are still calling for justice and the punishment of those who murdered more than 600 demonstrators during the initial crackdowns in 2019. Protesters explicitly voiced their opposition to regional external influence, shouting anti-Iranian chants and demanding an end to foreign interference in Iraqi politics. The muhasasa system, a sectarian political quota system that divides political posts and state resources among controlling parties, is still being opposed by protesters. Protesters demanded that all weapons be restricted to state authority, targeting the power of Iranian-backed armed militias operating in the country. Popular infrastructure failure, significant young unemployment, and widespread government corruption continue to be major sources of public frustration. Iraqi security officials deployed forces to safeguard important squares and public areas ahead of the anniversary, putting soldiers in Baghdad on high alert to prevent possible escalations. The 2019 Tishreen Uprising was the largest, longest-lasting, and most significant social movement in Iraq’s post-2003 history. The nonviolent movement, which was mostly spearheaded by frustrated youth, broke out in Baghdad and southern Iraq on October 1, 2019, demanding a complete reform of the country’s political system.