Populist Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr urged his followers on Sunday to help secu...
BAGHDAD - Populist Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr urged his followers on Sunday to help security forces clear roads blocked during months of sit-in protests, calling for a return to normal life after the designation of a new prime minister.
Protests broke out immediately in Baghdad and several southern cities on Saturday night after President Barham Salih named Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi as prime minister in an effort to end the political unrest. Some of his followers appeared to have helped already to clear out protest areas in Tahrir Square overnight, a Reuters reporter said.
“They attacked us by surprise and forced us out of the building shouting that we didn’t do any good to the country except ruining its economy,” said Rassoul, 20, a protester who has lived in the Turkish Restaurant since October. “Allawi is a member of the political game that has destroyed Iraq, he needs to go,” said Malek Jawad, a student and protester.“Moqtada al-Sadr sent conflicted messages since the beginning but at the end he made it clear that he’s against the protesters,” Jawad added.Sadr has directed anti-government unrest in previous years but he has not been able to control this round of demonstrations and many protesters oppose him as much as the rest of the political class.
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