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Riots broke out in Baghdad after the powerful Iraqi Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr announced his retirement from politics. Police and paramedics initially reported two dead and 19 injured. Reporters from the Reuters news agency spoke of dozens of supporters and opponents of the cleric fighting in the streets outside the government district. Earlier, al-Sadr’s supporters had stormed a government building.
He had announced his complete and this time final withdrawal from politics, citing the political standstill in the Gulf State as the reason. “I had decided not to get involved in political affairs, but now I am announcing my final retirement and the closure of all facilities,” he tweeted. Religious institutions directly associated with him are excluded. “If I die or am killed, I ask for your prayers.”
Less than two hours after the announcement, demonstrators poured into the Green Zone. Some bore photos of al-Sadr. “This is a people’s revolution, not a Sadrist movement,” some shouted. Others called for the “overthrow of the regime”. The protesters erected barriers while security forces tried to disperse the crowd with water cannons. Videos soon showed a cheering crowd inside the government palace rooms.
After the government building was stormed, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi suspended all cabinet meetings, the state news agency INA reported. In addition, an absolute curfew was imposed in the capital. The Army also later announced a nationwide lockdown.
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