Iraqi security forces fired weapons in the air and used tear gas as hundreds of protesters breached the walls and rushed toward the prime minister’s office and the parliament building, according to the Associated Press.
Advertisement
Some reports, citing hospital sources, said four people had been killed and 90 injured in the clashes.
Friday’s demonstrations included supporters of powerful Shi’ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr as well as people from other groups upset with the government’s failure to approve anti-corruption reforms and maintain security in the city.
It was the second time in two weeks that protesters were able to breach the Green Zone.
A passerby caught in the crossfire.The protesters eventually withdrew to Tahrir Square, but witnesses said security forces and unidentified gunmen opened fire there as well.
“Curfew on Baghdad until further notice”, read a statement which was released by the Joint Operations Command and also relayed by state television.
It was unclear, however, if security forces were aiming live ammunition directly at the crowd.
They highlighted the importance of continued dialogue among all parties in Iraq so that the Iraqi people could address their aspirations through their democratic institutions.
Mr Sadr voiced support for the demonstrators’ “peaceful [and] spontaneous revolt”.
In 2011, Mr Sadr returned from his self-imposed exile to Iraq, taking a more conciliatory tone and calling for Iraqi unity and peace.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has condemned an anti-government protest that turned violent in the capital’s Green Zone.
The United Nations expressed “deep concern” on Saturday about the incident and warned it could hamper efforts to defeat DAESH, which controls large swathes of territory in northern and western provinces.
Advertisement
The demonstrators, demanding reforms, initially were met by fierce resistance from the security forces guarding the main gates of the Green Zone, where main government buildings and some foreign embassies were located, Xinhua reported. They had stormed the Green Zone on April 30. Al-Abadi later replaced the head of the compound security.
