Protesters storm Baghdad's Green Zone and break into Iraq's parliament
Natasha Bertrand,ReutersMay 20, 2016, 21:40 IST
Protesters loyal to Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone on Friday for the second time in just under a month, multiple outlets are reporting.
The protesters, many of them masked, have apparently managed to break into Iraq's parliament, and are raiding the office of Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Iraqi authorities have implemented a mandatory curfew in response to the breach, and have reportedly shut down all entrances into the capitol.
Protesters are demanding reforms that would replace a political class selected according to Iraqis' sect and ethnicity - a "quota system" implemented by the US-led coalition after the invasion - with technocrats chosen solely for their professional qualifications.Iraqi security forces fired tear gas and live bullets at the protesters, according to a Reuters witness and live video, and dozens have reportedly been injured. The Reuters witness said some protesters had tried to reach the cabinet building but were stopped at the gate. They chanted: "Oh army, the country is hurt! Don't side with the corrupt!" Please enable Javascript to watch this video