- Title: 'Within sixty minutes' Sadr followers heed calls of cleric to withdraw
- Date: 30th August 2022
- Summary: BAGHDAD, IRAQ (AUGUST 30, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS OF SHI'ITE CLERIC MOQTADA AL-SADR WITHDRAWING, SOME CARRYING WEAPONS SADR SUPPORTERS IN THE BACK OF A PICK UP TRUCK, ONE HOLDING UP A PICTURE OF SADR VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS LEAVING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROTESTOR, ABU HAIDER, SAYING: "Following the leader Moqtada al-Sadr's orders to withdraw within sixty minutes, we withdrew." VARIOUS OF SADR SUPPORTERS WITHDRAWING VARIOUS OF AFTERMATH OF THE CLASHES WITH PEOPLE STANDING ON PIECES OF CONCRETE WALLS SUPPORTERS WITHDRAWING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SADR SUPPORTOR, ALI MOHAMMED, SAYING: "What can I tell you? Our leader ordered us to withdraw. We did. They targeted us with mortars, they were firing mortars at us." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE REMOVING BULLET CASINGS FROM THE GROUND VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN THE STREETS VARIOUS OF TUKTUKS GATHERED, DRIVING THROUGH THE STREETS EXTERIOR OF IRAQI PARLIAMENT MATRESSES ON THE GROUND PICTURES OF SADR HANGING ON TENT (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROTESTER, AHMED AHMED, SAYING: "As members of Sadrist movement, we follow what our leader orders. The leader asked us to withdraw for two reasons; first of all the protests did not remain peaceful. We started a peaceful protest but they started targeting us with snipers and artillery." EXTERIOR OF IRAQI PARLIAMENT AFTERMATH OF THE CLASHES
- Embargoed: 13th September 2022 13:07
- Keywords: Baghdad Clashes Iraq Moqtada al-Sadr Withdrawal
- Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- City: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Middle East
- Reuters ID: LVA001149630082022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Iraq's powerful cleric Moqtada al-Sadr ordered his followers to end their protests in central Baghdad on Tuesday (August 30), easing a confrontation which led to the deadliest violence in the Iraqi capital in years.
Apologizing to Iraqis after 22 people were killed in clashes between an armed group loyal to him and rival Shi'ite Muslim factions backed by Iran, Sadr condemned the fighting and gave his own followers one hour to disperse.
As the deadline passed at around 2 p.m. (1100 GMT), Sadr's followers could be seen beginning to leave the area in the fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad where government offices are located and where they had occupied parliament for weeks.
"Following the leader Moqtada al-Sadr's orders to withdraw within sixty minutes, we withdrew," said protester, Abu Haider.
Monday's clashes between rival factions of Iraq's Shi'ite Muslim majority follow 10 months of political deadlock since Iraq's October parliamentary election, which have raised fears of escalating unrest.
Sadr emerged as the main winner in the election but failed in his efforts to form a government with Sunni Muslim Arab and Kurdish parties, excluding the Iran-backed Shi'ite groups.
This week's violence erupted after Sadr said he was withdrawing from all political activity - a decision he said was in response to the failure of other Shi'ite leaders and parties to reform a corrupt and decaying governing system.
(Production: Maher Nazeh, Charlotte Bruneau, Kinda Makieh) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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