Defiant protesters back in Baghdad square within an hour of slaughter

Demonstrators grow ever more determined to force real political change in Iraq despite a bloody crackdown which left over 20 dead

Ghaith Abdul-Ahad in Najaf, and Emma Graham-Harrison
Sat 7 Dec 2019 20.01 GMT
Last modified on Sat 7 Dec 2019 20.35 GMT

The gunshots emptied protesters from Baghdad’s Khilani square in minutes, but as nearby streets filled with the crush of people running for their lives, two men stayed on, waving a vast Shia banner in defiance of the bloodshed around them.

The pair must have known they were in the gunmen’s crosshairs, and soon one of them crumpled, hit by a bullet. But their determination to continue was a powerful message to authorities and militias trying to crush Iraq’s popular uprising by force.

Activists say 23 people were killed on Friday night in the deadliest incident to hit the Iraqi capital in weeks of protests. Among them was a photojournalist, Ahmed Mehana, who had survived reporting on the frontline against Isis. His brother said he had been stabbed in the back while covering the demonstration.

At least 400 people have died since protesters first took to the streets at the start of October to denounce corruption, unemployment, failing public services and Iran’s heavy influence on the country’s politics.

The leaderless movement has gathered momentum despite this heavy toll, and the authorities’ heavy-handed response has fuelled growing outrage in Iraq and abroad.

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