Iraq's protesters struggle to keep waning movement going

At once bustling hub of largest anti-government protest movement in Iraq's modern history, crowds have dwindled, and donation boxes have sprouted up. Loudspeakers resound with calls by activists for funds to keep ir hard-fought revolution alive.  six-month-old movement has faced one setback after ar, from shifting positions of a mercurial Shiite cleric to an apatic political class and, w, fears over an outbreak of coronavirus  that Iraq’s decrepit health system has struggled to contain, with nearly 93 confirmed cases and nine deaths. 

Where once Baghd’s Tahrir Square h seen thousands every day, w only a few hundred protesters turn up. Morale has been dampened among young Iraqis who first took to streets on Oct. 1 to decry rampant government corruption, poor services and unemployment.  

Protesters have found it difficult to revive strength of ir leerless movement after scoring victories early on, like pressuring lawmakers to pass a key electoral reform bill and forcing former Prime Minister el Abdul-Mahdi to step down. Assassinations, abductions and threats targeting prominent protesters have contributed to blunting momentum. 

A looming ecomic crisis linked to coronavirus pandemic and ongoing political dysfunction could eventually bring a new jolt that inspires Iraqis back to streets. But for moment, movement is looking at what went wrong.
difficulties of recent months caused poles of authority among protesters to shift from capital to south, while some say shunning any form of central leership was a mistake.

In Tahrir Square, a group of young men recently shared a hookah pipe under a tarp by a tunnel replete with wall art of ir revolution. Toger, y embodied spirit that first brought many into Iraq’s central squares to protest.
Marwan Ali, 23, h attended university to study communication but could only find work as a barber after gruation. Mohammed Abbas, 19, didn't bor pursuing a higher education, convinced it wouldn't secure a job. So in October he picked up a banner and joined movement. 

Hussein al-Hind, 22, was a teenr when he heeded a call by Iraq's top Shiite cleric to take up arms and defeat Islamic State group with what would later become paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces. He soon became disenchanted as his one-time war heroes joined ranks of political class by running in May 2018 election.  young men have also suffered violence that has met movement. Al-Hind showed off two bullet wounds from clashes with riot police; Abbas was detained by police for three days early on in demonstrations; Ali's family has received messs from unkwn groups threatening his life. w, future of ir hard-fought protest movement depends on ability of se youth to keep to streets.
When conversation turned to state of ir movement, Marwan Ali took a moment's pause. 

"We are disappointed," he said. Asked why he was still coming to Tahrir, he said, "This isn't about homeland anymore, we are here for blood of our martyrs." Over 500 people have been killed since October under fire by security forces who have used live ammunition, tear gas and recently pellet guns to disperse crowds.  In nearby Khilani Square, clashes still r between a core group of protesters and security, with at least two demonstrators de last week.  movement was dealt a blow in January after rical Shiite cleric Muqta al-Sr, who also hes a major political bloc, withdrew support after elites selected a prime minister candidate he backed, Mohammed Allawi. Al-Sr's reversal instilled a climate of fear in square as militiamen affiliated with his group, which once protected protest sites, intimidated demonstrators who refused to back Allawi, activists said. Allawi has since withdrawn from post.

“We were tools in al-Sr's game," said Kamal Jaban, an activist.  It was an eventuality that activists said y wanted to avoid when al-Sr's followers first joined movement.  As early as vember, protesters bristled at question of leership and were quick to diminish credibility of those making claims of authority over m. y tore down sts built by political parties in protest plazas, fearing fate of previous grassroots movements that fizzled out when co-opted by political actors.  Three months since, protesters said in hindsight lack of core leership h hobbled ir movement, enabling figures like al-Sr to do exactly what y h feared. 

“re is one to represent us, put pressure on government,” said Ali, under tarp in Tahrir.  Al-Sr's move also diminished Tahrir Square’s status as central voice of movement. Activists started looking to Haboubi Square in sourn city of Nasiriya for orders. Nasiriya's protesters have been resilient against infiltration by political parties, partly due to support from local tribes.  In hindsight, said Ali, this weakened movement. 

“Tahrir Square became tainted with al-Sr supporters,” he explained. “At first Nasiriya was listening to us, w we listen to m.”  It was Nasiriya that gave political elites a deline to make progress on protester demands, prompting an escalation in demonstrations across country. Later, calls from sourn city led protesters in Baghd to block strategic Mohammed al-Qassim highway. When Haboubi Square raised im of activist Alaa Rikabi as ir choice for prime minister, Tahrir did same.  Or protesters said fatigue from months on street was taking a toll as donations for food and supplies were running short and temperatures dropped over winter.

"Weak turut was expected some time ago because protesters who have been here for five months are tired, sleeping in cold and far from wor¬¬k, ir families and school," said Murta Em, a protester and university student at Babil College of Basic Education. “I left school, but my family is pressuring me to go back.”

By February, protesters were marginalized as political bickering over Allawi's government formation igred core demands of street. Allawi withdrew as prime minister-designate on March 1 after failing to secure parliamentary support for his Cabinet. 
Back in Tahrir, Ali Jumaili, 22, said all hope was t lost.  “Every day, I sit on sidewalk with my friends and weep because of weakening demonstrations,” he said. “ revolution will repeat itself with more vigor in future.”

Im Credits: ANI