Corona Pandemic

Leftist and Progressive forces and organizations in Iraq have not been able to organize a march for International Labor Day on the 1st of May. This is due to considerations of security and health. The numbers in corona infections has been rising after the full curfew had been lifted and replaced by a partial one in April (the month of Ramadan). The total cases reached to more than 5,500 cases. 1000 cases were recorded in April only.

The state therefore imposed a full lockdown again at the beginning of the Islamic holiday (Eid). Despite that, on May 26, Iraq recorded more than 200 people infected, and on May 29, 400 more infections with the Corona virus were recorded.

As Iraq’s health sector has been structurally destroyed, Iraqi hospitals are no longer able to absorb this quantity of daily infections. Therefore, the patients are distributed throughout hospitals in the cities of Iraq as well as new centers established for new cases.

Politics

As reported in our previous report, the government of Mustafa Al-Kazemi was inaugurated by the Iraqi parliament on 6/5/2020. It was also accompanied by a strong media campaign, including social media, in support of Mustafa Al-Kazemi.

Within this campaign, the main themes were to restrict weapons of the state, the elimination of terrorism, the creation of jobs as well as some other demands by the protestors. Al-Kazemi also paid a visit to the anti-terror forces (Iraqi Special Operations Forces) and the Popular Mobilization Forces (Al Hashed Al Shaabi) where he promised to support them as well as asking them to prepare for a final battle with ISIS.

We observed that most media outlets affiliated with the political Islamist parties have changed their political discourse in support of Al-Kazemi. This indicates that there has been an agreement between the political Islamist parties and his government. The demonstrators however remained in opposition.

Protest

For the majority of protestors, the new Iraqi government led by Mustafa Al-Kazemi has made many promises that we, as WAS, see as impossible. These promises do not meet the aspirations of the Iraqi street and the demonstrators in particular. Therefore, the moment Al-Kazemi came to power, the protesters vowed that they would return to the street. They announced that May 10 will be a day of escalation against the current government.

In fact, on May 10, demonstrators took to the streets and squares for sit-ins in various cities of Iraq. They announced that May 10 is the day of the Iraqi revolution, and its return since the pause during the corona virus outbreak.

It was only about ten thousand protesters who came to Tahrir Square. They tried to storm the green zone and occupied the second barrier on the ‘Republican Bridge’ (Al Gomhorya Bridge), which links Tahrir Square and the Green Zone.

The security forces severely repressed the demonstrators, as the protest movement lost three young activists and 200 protesters were injured. Security forces used violent means such as hot water and sound bombs against protestors.

In the southern city of wasit, which is the city from where the idea of escalation emerged, the demonstrators occupied the administrative building of the state in the city. They had to retreat because of the repression by security forces.  

In Basra, militias attacked the protest square in Basra and injured many demonstrators, which led to a reaction by the demonstrators as they attacked the office of the militia “God’s revenge” (Thaar Allah). Al-Kazemi also hurried and arrested this militia that had attacked people.

Economics

As noted in the previous report, the world oil market is in crisis at the moment which affects rentier states like Iraq, with 90 per cent of its state budget depending on oil. Also, this government remains in a continuous annual deficit status and corruption.

This deficit has affected the Iraqi market and the imports. More importantly, it has affected the ability of the Iraqi government to pay salaries to employees of the state, especially in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Here, the Kurdistan Regional Government depends on the Central Iraqi Government to pay salaries to its employees.

In response, the teachers in the city of “Dohuk” in Kurdistan protested as these teachers did not receive their salaries. The Kurdish Regional Government suppressed these protests which generated anger among the Kurdish people, mostly expressed then on social media.

In southern Iraq, the government has laid off many workers in the oil sector. The workers of the “Al Ahdab” oil field, which is managed by a Chinese company in wasit city demand that their return to work immediately. They consider this an illegal act that violates the Iraqi labor law. However, the Iraqi government suppressed their sit-ins. During the assault, 3 workers in the sit-in of the field have been killed.

Agriculture

Not only do Iraqis face this crisis, also in every harvest season, fires that burn down fields obstruct the local Iraqi production.  

Usually, fields are burned in April of every harvesting season. Those accused are the Iranian state their militia in Iraq as they are the only ones benefitting from a destruction of local Iraqi agriculture.

Also, the Abu Ghraib factory for making cheese and milk was burned down near Baghdad. Also, in Najaf, 750 tons of agricultural fertilizers were stolen.

Almost 88 fires occurred in 10 cities for 30 days that included the burning of wheat, barley, and vegetables. These are huge losses and attacks on Iraq’s food production and any attempt of food sovereignty.

LGBT Flag

Finally, the embassy of the European Union in Iraq raised the flag of the LGBT+ in Baghdad for the first time. Reactions were mixed. Some have welcomed this step, which for us is a positive step towards a progressive society. Although we are against the European Union’s hypocritical Middle East policy!.

But the others found it currently unnecessary and would have wished for the EU to support the demonstrators.

Others, who mostly belong to the followers of political Islamist parties have marked the act as an assault on Iraq, its sovereignty and have gone so far as to declare this as a war against Islam. Groups affiliated with Muqtada al-Sadr have assaulted many suspected homosexuals as well as publishing many video clips threatening the LGBT community of Iraq, as well as burning the LGBT flag in Tahrir Square in Baghdad. Demonstrators did not take part in this.  

Workers against Sectarianism / April

30/5/2020