2019–2021 Iraqi protests
It started on 1 October 2019, a date which was set by civil activists on social media, spreading mainly over the central and southern provinces of Iraq, to protest corruption, high unemployment, political sectarianism, inefficient public services and foreign interventionism.As the intensity of the demonstrations peaked in late October, protesters' anger focused not only on the desire for a complete overhaul of the Iraqi government but also on driving out Iranian influence, including Iranian-aligned Shia militias.[53] After the decision was made, social media was flooded with Al-Saedi's photos and achievements, calling for Abdul-Mahdi to back down from this injustice and accusing Iran of ordering the Iraqi government to replace every "national hero" in the army with Iranian loyalists.[60] While at daytime protesters from all strata of Iraqi society peacefully took to the streets and squares of cities like Kerbala, later at night, youths from the suburbs sought violent confrontations, using molotov cocktails and burning car-tires, which was answered by the state security forces with tear gas, rubber bullets, deadly snipers and even patrol vehicles lethally ramming into crowds.[75] In the aftermath, the commander of Iran's Quds Force, Major General Qasem Soleimani, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were tracked down and assassinated in a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad International Airport.[108] 8 November: Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most influential Shia cleric, called on the government to meet the demands of the protesters, and urged the security forces to avoid the use of violence.[136] After its passage, legal experts, intellectuals, and some protestors suggested that the law as written might not work as intended, as there has not been a census to count population for the purpose of drawing districts in over two decades, and the parties might end up running candidates individually but then re-form parliamentary groups once the Council sits, effectively returning to the status quo.[162][163] On 21 January, Iraqi police confirmed that three Katyusha rockets landed inside the fortified Green Zone housing government buildings and foreign delegations in Baghdad, according to the guardian.[167] 23 January: Amnesty International warned that Iraqi security forces have continued their series of operations involving the use of deadly violence against peaceful protesters, based on substantiating video analysis and eyewitness reports confirmed by the organization.[193] 4 February: A day after a demonstrator was killed, tensions between Sadr supporters and protesters against Allawi's nomination increased, as the rift erupted into a fistfight between the two opposing groups in the southern city of Diwaniyah.[201] Similar clashes involving al-Sadr's followers attempting to suppress the protests were reported to have taken place across other parts of the country as well, including Karbala, Diwaniyah, Dhi Qar, Baghdad, among others, according to the Kurdistan 24.[205] During the Friday sermon, in remarks presented by al-Sistani's representative in the holy city of Karbala, he denounced the clash with Sadrists in Najaf two days before and held security forces responsible for failing to prevent the death of 8 protesters.[209] The president of the Kurdistan Regional Government Nechirvan Barzani, has issued a statement condemning the unlawful use of force against peaceful protesters on Wednesday, even though the Kurdish authorities have adopted similar approaches.[214] However, the Iranian consulate in Iraq that was set ablaze last year by protesters is now functional, as Visa operations continue, while regular consular services are expected to commence from next week, according to Bloomberg.[215][216] 11 February: Influential Shia cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr, has dissolved the Blue caps unit which has been accused of violence that led to the death of anti-government protesters last week in Najaf, and also publicly rejected what is known as the Sadrist movement on Twitter.[254] 2 March: Early in the morning, just hours after Prime Minister Candidate Mohammad Tawfiq Allawi withdrew his nomination for the position, two Katyusha rockets reportedly struck the heavily fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad, leaving zero casualties, according to DW.[257] 5 March: Protesters took to the streets again early in the morning in Basra province, blocking vital roads, burning tires, as well as urging the immediate appointment of an independent to create a new government.[272] 4 April: Prime Minister-designate Adnan Zurfi handed over his plans to the Iraqi parliament as demonstrators refused to obey curfew imposed by the government, leading to the eruption of violence with security forces.Several Iraqi security forces were reported to have sustained injuries in the process of firing tear gas at protesters in Nasiriya, who responded by throwing gasoline bombs at them, according to The Baghdad Post.[275] 6 April: The American oil company located in the oil-rich Basra province of southern Iraq, came under attack as five rockets were reportedly fired close to the site, Iraqi military confirmed.[319][320] Also, Mustafa al-Kadhimi promoted the Iraqi general Lt. Gen. Abdul Wahab al-Saadi who played a vital role in the war against Islamic State and was subsequently demoted last year by Abdul-Mahdi.[332] 23 May: A report from the Human Rights office of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq, revealed the disappearance of over 100 people, with several others tortured by armed groups since protests began in October last year.[342] The incident took place near Hashimi's residence in the district of Zayouna, when two armed men riding a motorbike shot him, after which he sustained grave injuries and was taken to the Ibn Al-Nafees Hospital in Baghdad where he died.Thousands of protesters gathered in Baghdad from different provinces of southern Iraq, in order to reject the termination of a government-allocated compensation which was declared by the Iraqi PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi, as part of an economic reform package.[385] Members of the tribe of deputy leader of the Popular Mobilization Forces, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis who was killed by an American drone attack in January, are being held responsible by some activists in Nasiriyah for Sajjad's abduction.[431][432] Water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets, including live rounds was believed to have been used by security forces to break up the gathering of protesters, according to the Middle East Eye.[451] 20 December: Just two weeks to the one-year anniversary of the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, reports have shown that the US Embassy in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone has been under a rocket attack.[457] Thousands of Iraqis demanded United States armed forces pull out of the country in protests in Liberation Square, Baghdad, one year after the American drone strike which killed Qasem Soleimani and Iraq's militia commander, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.[459] 8 January: Just a day after a massive crackdown against activists in Nasiriyah's Habboubi Square, Iraqi security forces clashed with protesters, as they fired tear gas and bullets to disperse the crowd.[466] 19 January: Following the request made by Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission for additional to prepare for the polls which are supposed to hold on 6 June, the Iraqi cabinet voted unanimously to move the general elections to 10 October 2021.
Second Arab SpringIraqi conflictBaghdadIraqi nationalismState corruptionAnti-American sentimentAnti-Iranian sentimentUnemploymentLow wagespublic servicesSecularismDemonstrationsStrike actionInternet activismSit-insCivil resistanceBarricadesAdil Abdul-MahdiMustafa Al-KadhimiCouncil of Representativeselection lawIraqi Communist PartyIraqi GovernmentIraqi PolicePopular Mobilization ForcesKata'ib HezbollahBadr OrganizationAsa'ib Ahl al-HaqHezbollah al-NujabaKata'ib al-Imam AliHezbollah Movement in IraqTeam Media WarIslamic Dawa PartyIslamic Supreme Council of IraqBarham SalihPresident of IraqMohammed Al-HalbousiSpeaker of the Iraqi ParliamentPrime Minister of IraqJuma InadMinister of DefenceNajah al-ShammariFalih Al-FayyadhNational Security CouncilMohanad Najim AleqabiNouri al-MalikiHumam HamoudiAbu Mahdi al-MuhandisHadi Al-AmiriQais Al-Khazali2018 Iraqi protests2018 Tunisian protests2018 Jordanian protestsSudanese Revolution2019–2022 Sudanese protests2019–2021 Algerian protests2019 Gaza economic protests2020 Egyptian protests2019–2021 Lebanese protests2021 Tunisian protestsmarchescivil disobedienceprovinces of Iraqpolitical sectarianisminterventionismIranian-backed militiastear gaspost-Saddam sovereign Iraqi government in 20062003 American invasionArabicromanizedOctober Protest Movement2011 Iraqi protests2012–13 Iraqi protests2015–2018 Iraqi protestsIrreligion in IraqSunni-dominant provinces2012–2013 Iraqi protestsGreen ZoneBa'ath PartyIraqi insurgencyAmerican occupationAl Anbar Governorate2013 Anbar campaignAl-AnbarNinawaSalah ad-DinKirkukDiyalaWar in Iraq (2013–2017)Department of DefenseHaider al-AbadiSadrist MovementMuqtada al-SadrIraqi parliamentKhomeiniKhameneiAl-NajafBasra International Airportsthe protests in 2012administrative headquartersRiot policeMinistry of InteriorAbdel-Wahab Al-SaediMinistry of DefencecorruptionU.S. occupation (2003–11)United Arab Emiratesmolotov cocktailsCasualty recordingViolence against academics in post-invasion Iraqhuman rights groupDijlah TVReham YacoubAttack on the United States embassy in BaghdadUS Embassy in BaghdadHadi al-AmariKuwaitDonald TrumpQuds ForceQasem Soleimaniassassinated in a U.S. drone strikeBaghdad International AirportLiberation Squareinternet blackoutAmnesty International