On a Saturday in Baghdad, the great square where Iraqis have long gathered to speak their minds filled with tens of thousands of people waving national flags and chanting against both Israel and America. They came at the call of Muqtada Sadr, the Shia leader whose followers have shown they can fill the streets, and they came to denounce a war that has already scattered its costs across the region. Iraq, caught between its own fractured politics and a conflict it never chose, finds its citizens speaking with one voice against the violence, while the larger question of where the country will sta
Thousands Rally in Baghdad Against US-Israeli War on Iran, Calling It 'Senseless'
The ongoing war has caused thousands of casualties across the region since it began, and Iraq has suffered attacks within its territory.
Tens of thousands filled Baghdad's Tahrir Square chanting against America and Israel
Mark
Why does a rally in Baghdad matter to the larger story of this war?
Mimi
Because Iraq is already inside it. The country has absorbed attacks aimed at US interests and at pro-Iranian factions on its own soil, even though it didn't choose to be involved.
Mark
And the person calling the crowd out is Muqtada Sadr.
Mimi
Yes. He has a following of millions among Iraq's Shia majority, and he has a record of filling streets when he asks. He asked for peaceful protest on this occasion.
Luke
Let me slow down on the numbers. "Tens of thousands" is the reported figure. Do we have a count?
Mimi
No precise count appears in the reporting. It's a general estimate, and it should be read that way.
Mark
The protesters called it a senseless war that targets civilians. Is that confirmed?
Luke
That's what demonstrators said, and it's their characterisation. The reporting does say the war has caused thousands of casualties across the region, but it doesn't break that down by who was hit or by whom.
Mark
What about Sadr's influence inside government?
Mimi
His representatives sit in ministries and official institutions, even though he has opposed various governments. That's why this isn't only a street story.
Luke
Though nothing here says what he intends to do next, or whether the government will change course. That's unknown, and the rally alone doesn't answer it.
Mark
So the thing to watch is what follows the crowd.
Mimi
Exactly. How Sadr and Baghdad respond as the war continues.
O Pulso
- Tens of thousands poured into Baghdad's Tahrir Square and other Iraqi cities, raising flags and chants against the US-Israeli war on Iran.
- Supporters of Muqtada Sadr answered his call for peaceful protest, yet the streets carry the charge of a country already hit by attacks on American interests and pro-Iranian factions.
- Demonstrators at the Freedom Monument decried the war as senseless, aimed at civilians, and an act of arrogance that the world must stand up against.
- Sadr's mobilisation power and his influence inside government ministries mean these rallies could reshape Iraq's political posture as the regional war grinds on.
On a Saturday in Baghdad, the great square where Iraqis have long gathered to speak their minds filled with tens of thousands of people waving national flags and chanting against both Israel and America. They came at the call of Muqtada Sadr, the Shia leader whose followers have shown they can fill the streets, and they came to denounce a war that has already scattered its costs across the region. Iraq, caught between its own fractured politics and a conflict it never chose, finds its citizens speaking with one voice against the violence, while the larger question of where the country will stand remains unanswered.
On Saturday, Baghdad's Tahrir Square filled with enormous crowds waving Iraqi flags. Women were among them, and they chanted "No, no to Israel" and "No, no to America." Tens of thousands of supporters of the Shia leader Muqtada Sadr turned out in the capital and in other Iraqi cities to protest the US-Israeli war on Iran. Sadr had asked for the demonstrations to be peaceful, and his stated aim was to condemn what he called Zionist-American aggression and to bring peace to the region.
Iraq has not stood apart from this conflict. It has been pulled into regional tensions against its will, with attacks striking both American interests and pro-Iranian factions on its soil. The wider war has already cost thousands of lives across the region.
At the Freedom Monument, which marks Iraq's independence, demonstrators spoke of the war in human terms. Dhirgham Samir, a man in his forties, called it "a senseless war" that targets civilians, and cast the rally as a rejection of aggression and injustice everywhere. Ali al-Fartousi, a Muslim leader, said the two countries violate the rights of the region's peoples first, and urged the world to stand together against what he called global Zionist-American arrogance.
Sadr's weight explains why the turnout matters. He commands a loyal following of millions in Iraq's Shia majority, and though he has opposed governments over the years, his representatives hold real influence within ministries and state institutions. How he uses this mobilisation, and how Iraq's government positions itself as the war continues, are the questions these rallies leave open.
On Saturday, Baghdad's Tahrir Square filled with enormous crowds waving Iraqi flags and chanting "No, no to Israel" and "No, no to America." Women were among those who came. Tens of thousands of supporters of the Shia leader Muqtada Sadr turned out in the capital and in other Iraqi cities to protest the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Sadr had called for the demonstrations in advance, asking that they be peaceful. His stated purpose was to condemn what he called Zionist-American aggression and to establish peace in the region.
Iraq has not stood apart from the conflict. The country has been pulled into the regional tension against its will, and attacks have struck both American interests and pro-Iranian factions on Iraqi territory. The wider war, according to the reporting, has caused thousands of casualties across the region since it began.
Dhirgham Samir, a demonstrator in his 40s, described the war to the AFP news agency as something other than a military campaign. "Not a war of a military nature, but a senseless war," was how he put it, and he said it targets civilians. He framed the rally as a rejection of aggression, arrogance and injustice around the world, not only in Iraq.
At Baghdad's Freedom Monument, which commemorates Iraq's declaration of independence, protesters denounced what they characterised as American and Israeli interference in the affairs of the region. Ali al-Fartousi, identified as a Muslim leader, told AFP that the two countries violate the rights of the region's peoples first and then those of the wider world. He said humanity must speak out and stop them, and that the time had come for the whole world to stand together against what he called global Zionist-American arrogance.
Sadr's weight in Iraqi life explains why the turnout draws attention. He commands a loyal following of millions within the country's Shia majority and has repeatedly shown he can put large crowds on the street. He has opposed various governments over the years, yet his representatives give him influence inside Iraqi ministries and official institutions.
That combination of street power and institutional reach is what makes Saturday's rallies worth watching. How Sadr uses the mobilisation, and how Iraq's government positions itself as the regional war continues, are the questions the demonstrations leave open.
Citações Notáveis
This is a senseless war, targeting civilians.— Dhirgham Samir, demonstrator, to AFP
Humanity must speak out against these people and stop them.— Ali al-Fartousi, Muslim leader, to AFP
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War & Conflict