Mass demonstrations have taken over central Baghdad on Sunday, marking the one-year anniversary of the death of popular Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, killed by US drone strike at Baghdad's airport on Jan.3, 2020.
As Reuters observed, angry Iraq protesters are changing anti-American slogans as they fill up Tahrir square in the center of the capital: "Demonstrators gathering at Tahrir square in response to calls by an assortment of militia groups known collectively as the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), which are mostly backed and trained by Iran, waved the Iraqi flag and chanted anti-American slogans such as 'America is the Great Satan'".
Video from #Baghdad’s Tahrir square right now.
— Nafiseh Kohnavard (@nafisehkBBC) January 3, 2021
Thousands of mourners gathered in Iraq’s iconic square to mark the anniversary of the assassination of Iran’s top commander Qassem Soleimani and a senior Iraqi leader of Iran-backed paramilitary groups Abu Mahdi Muhandis pic.twitter.com/WJj7tY9Lme
The day prior on Saturday thousands blocked the highway leading out of Baghdad International Airport in a march to mourn the IRGC Quds Force commander's death in a simulated funeral procession, Reuters noted further.
Iraqis are also mourning Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU). The Shia militias which often coordinate with national army units are widely seen as supported by Iran, and have been frequently blamed in the past of carrying out attacks against US troops and the embassy in Baghdad.
Anti-#US protests have begun to start near #Baghdad Intl. Airport, #Iraq. “Allah is great, #America is the great satan" pic.twitter.com/Qpk0HrRQVF...
— Aurora Intel (@AuroraIntel)