A large crowd of demonstrators gathered on Sunday for a second day of protests surrounding the occupation of the Iraqi Parliament by supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr. The demonstrations extended into the capital from Shiite-majority regions such as Karbala and Najaf, according to activists who spoke about the events.
Al-Sadr urged citizens to view the moment as a chance to push for meaningful political change. He described the situation as a golden opportunity to prompt a reform that would reshape the country’s political system, calling the events a liberating, spontaneous, and peaceful revolution near the Green Zone. He also encouraged tribes, security forces, and the Popular Mobilization Units to join the movement in demanding reform.
Supporters of Al-Sadr entered the Parliament for a second time in the week during Saturday’s demonstration, following a prior intrusion on Wednesday. The protests were aimed at challenging the candidacy of Mohamed al-Sudani, another Shiite politician aligned with Iran, for prime minister.
The Parliament sits within the Green Zone, the fortified area in Baghdad that houses key Iraqi institutions and foreign embassies. By Saturday, injuries were reported among protesters and security personnel—125 people in total, including 25 security officers. On Sunday, officials indicated there were no new reported injuries, and demonstrators noted that security forces remained unarmed inside the Parliament complex to minimize confrontations.
Meanwhile, the Coordination Framework coalition, which backs Al-Sudani, announced a pause in its mobilizations to allow for negotiation and the search for a political solution to the crisis. The suspension was framed as a temporary measure in light of ongoing talks.
Earlier in the week, Al-Sadr’s supporters had briefly entered Parliament to protest the prime ministerial bid but withdrew at Al-Sadr’s request, signaling a complicated stance within the broader political landscape. The Sayyirun coalition, led by Al-Sadr, had secured the largest vote share in the last October elections, attracting a spectrum of members from Iraqi nationalists to left-wing groups who together won 73 of 329 seats. Some Sayyirun members remained in Parliament as the crisis evolved, while others left in June to protest the inability to reach a solution.