Iraq’s al-Sadr urges nationwide “angry” protests over Gaza strikes

Shafaq News/ On Saturday, Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, head of the Patriotic Shiite Movement (Sadrist), instructed his supporters to organize coordinated protests across the country in response to Israel’s intensified military campaign in Gaza.

In a statement, al-Sadr ordered demonstrations to begin immediately after Friday prayers at pre-designated sites in each province where his movement operates, urging participants to remain peaceful but adopt a visibly “angry” stance.

Al-Sadr also directed the burning of Israeli and American flags during the protests, instructing demonstrators to carry only Iraqi and Palestinian flags.

The call for demonstrations comes amid renewed Israeli operations in Gaza following the collapse of recent ceasefire efforts. According to Gaza health authorities, more than 50,912 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children, have been killed since October 2023.