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It was another sad milestone in the grim struggle Iraqi democrats have been waging, almost entirely alone, since the mass uprising of October, 2019. Two protesters were killed and at least two dozen were injured after thousands of protesters converged on Baghdad’s Tahrir Square on Tuesday from as far away as Karbala, Nassiriya, Basra and Najaf.
It was one of the largest demonstrations since the 2019 uprising against corruption, unemployment and the depredations of the Iran-backed militias that former Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi integrated into the Iraqi security apparatus, with full ranks and salaries, the year before. The wave of mass demonstrations in 2019 led to the appointment of a new prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who promised reform and an end to the impunity enjoyed by the militias. Despite his best efforts, Al-Kadhimi has failed to deliver. Since 2019, the militias, organized into an auxiliary force known as the Hashd al-Shabi, have carried out dozens of assassinations and kidnappings. They target human rights activists, journalists and intellectuals. No one has been brought to justice.