Al-Madina News: The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, appealed today, Friday, for the protestors to work with the security forces in maintaining state institutions in the wake of the high tension experienced by the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, over the past few 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, when the fighting died down over time, Lieutenant-General Ahmed Salim, the commander of Baghdad operations, was forced to order the opening of all bridges and barricaded highways in the evening as the protesters started to disperse.
Arabic.
Al-Kazemi: Keeping demonstrators safe is a top concern.
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