Protesters in Iraq have once again breached the country’s parliament in a show of support for influential Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr, leaving at least 125 people injured and escalating a political standoff.
The protest comes days after the demonstrators stormed the legislative body and suspended a session to nominate a new prime minister.
Thousands of supporters rallied by al-Sadr and his Sadrist Movement tore down concrete barriers on Saturday and entered the Green Zone, which houses government departments and foreign missions, before breaking into parliament, Al Jazeera reported.
At least 125 people – 100 civilians and 25 members of the security forces – were wounded, according to the Ministry of Health.
Al-Sadr’s supporters threw stones and police fired tear gas and stun grenades.
“We are calling for a government free from corruption … and those are the demands of the people,” one protester, Abu Foad, told the Reuters news agency.
The media office of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi had issued a statement calling on security officers to guarantee the safety of state institutions.
