Iraqis protest against widespread corruption
Tens of thousands of Iraqis held demonstrations in major cities Friday to protest against widespread corruption and call for reforms.
Around 200,000 people gathered around the Green Zone in the center of the capital, Baghdad.
Most of the demonstrators were followers of Muqtada al-Sadr, an influential Shia cleric who has organized similar protests over the past weeks.
Sadr, who appeared among the demonstrators in Baghdad, said in a speech that the Iraqis will not tolerate corrupt elements inside the government, calling on Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to address cases of mismanagement in his administration.
Reports said security forces had earlier blocked the main routes leading to the Green Zone, a highly fortified area which houses Iraq's cabinet, parliament and other government offices.
Similar protests were held in the cities of Karbala and Basra. Protesters chanted slogans against some government officials.
The gathering around the Green Zone could be seen as a major warning to Abadi and the Iraqi government that the relative security established in the area and other parts of the capital could be affected by surging public dissatisfaction.
A similar protest was held last week in Tahrir Square in downtown Baghdad with Sadr warning that his supporters would storm the Green Zone if the government keeps failing in its reform plans.
The Iraqi government says its finances have been affected by its large-scale battle against the Takfiri terrorists of Daesh, a group which controls parts of the country in the west and the north. Pro-government forces have managed to liberate some key areas but the fight continues for recapturing cities in the provinces of Anbar and Nineveh.
Iraq saw a series of nationwide protests over corruption last summer. That prompted Abadi to propose a package of reforms. However, many say his efforts have effectively failed to bring about any tangible change.
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