Thousands of Iraqis fill Tahrir square in Baghdad on October 1, 2022, to mark the third anniversary of the 2019 uprisings against corruption, in which at least 600 lives were lost. Protestors brandished portraits of the martyrs in Tahrir square and repeated chants for overthrowing the government. Protestors demand security, jobs, and simple rights. Security forces were deployed and blocked all roads and bridges to protect the green zone in Baghdad from protestors. Tear gas was fired at protesters, who retaliated by throwing petrol bombs and stones. The current unrest stems from the dispute between Muqtada al-Sadr, supported by millions of Iraqis, and his rivals, the Coordination Framework. Protests mainly erupted around the Al Jumhuriya bridge, known as the “Cursed bridge,” amongst protestors now due to all the bloodshed in that area.
