Baghdad, Nasiriyah mark fifth anniversary of Tishreen protests with demonstrations

BAGHDAD — Demonstrations took place in Baghdad and Nasiriyah on Friday to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the 2019 Tishreen protests. Crowds gathered in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square and Nasiriyah’s Haboubi Square amid a heavy security presence, with mostly young people and families of those killed or disappeared during the protests joining the call for justice.

Protesters condemned the arbitrary arrests of Tishreen activists, urging Iraq’s executive, legislative, and judicial authorities to prevent further destabilization of the country. They also expressed solidarity with victims in Lebanon and Palestine amid ongoing regional conflicts.

The Tishreen movement, which began in October 2019 and continued until May 2021, emerged in response to widespread economic struggles, corruption, high unemployment, inadequate public services, and government inefficiency. It became Iraq’s largest mass protest since the 2003 fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime, unique for its independence from traditional political factions.

“The Tishreen protests continue to this day, and on its fifth anniversary, we renew our demands, including fighting corruption, ending sectarian quotas, and reforming the political system,” Hussein Al-Aamel, a writer and journalist, told 964media.

He added, “We also call for an end to the arbitrary arrests of protesters. These are legitimate demands that we still stand by to restore the dignity of the nation.”

The Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights reports that over 600 people were killed during the protests, a figure surpassing official government estimates. Of the 624 identified victims, nearly half lost their lives in Baghdad. The observatory warned that the lack of accountability for those responsible could lead to more violence in the future.

In Nasiriyah, civil activist Saif Ali remarked, “Today marks the fifth anniversary of the great Tishreen revolution. Protesters are gathering in Haboubi Square, renewing their loyalty to the martyrs and demanding accountability for those who killed demonstrators, as well as revealing the fate of the disappeared activists, especially the civil activist Sajjad al-Iraqi.”

Sajjad Al-Iraqi, a prominent figure in the protests, was abducted on September 20, 2020, while traveling with friends in Dhi Qar province. Arrest warrants were issued for suspects Idris Kreidi and Ahmed Mohammed Abd in connection with Sajjad’s kidnapping in November 2020. Both were sentenced to death in absentia in March 2023 but remain at large.