The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, appealed today, Friday, for the demonstrators to work with the security forces in safeguarding state institutions in response to the extreme tension that the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, has experienced over the past several days.
He emphasised that using force or illegal means to disperse protests is never appropriate.
He called on the demonstrators to work with the security forces in order to preserve and protect state institutions, public and private property, in a statement that was cited by the Security Media Cell. He affirmed the right to peaceful demonstrations that the constitution guarantees to practise within the framework of the law.
He also pointed to earlier directives that the security forces should provide complete protection for demonstrators who are acting in a peaceful manner, emphasising the need to avoid using force or other illegal means to disperse crowds.
Al-Kazemi reportedly urged the media and social media platforms to refrain from disseminating and falling for misleading information that attempts to sow unrest and undermine civic harmony.
This came after the capital experienced intense tension over the previous several hours as a result of the thousands of demonstrators who flocked to the streets in support of Muqtada al-Sadrist Sadr’s movement and the scheduling of a parliament meeting to debate al-resignation. Halbousi’s
133 people were hurt during clashes between demonstrators and security.
However, as the demonstrations started to disperse, the level of fighting decreased. As a result, Lieutenant-General Ahmed Salim, the commander of Baghdad operations, ordered the opening of all bridges and closed highways in the evening.
Al-Kazemi urges the crowd to assist the police and other authorities.
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