Share :

Download PDF :

Al Monitor (30 June 2020)

Adnan Abu Zeed

Unidentified individuals vandalized June 4 the statue of cleric and poet Mohammed Saeed al-Haboubi in Al-Haboubi Square, the center of protest in Nasiriyah in southern Iraq. No official Iraqi authority has released any information revealing those behind the attacks on public property, especially monuments and statues.

Protesters claimed on Facebook that “the assault on the statue of Haboubi took place after the protesters had left the square, [and that it happened] in order to discredit the demonstrators. Protesters in Al-Habboubi Square are innocent of such acts.” At the same time, members of parliament hinted at the increase of vandalism in the central and southern regions, thus alluding to protesters being behind such acts.

On Jan. 19, leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq Mahmoud al-Rubaie accused “a bunch of bastards” of tearing up the image of the deputy commander of the Popular Mobilization Units, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was assassinated in a US raid in January, thus clearly pointing fingers at the demonstrators.

Click for more