January 20, 2020, Baghdad, Iraq- Black smoke from burning tires rises at the frontlines of protests on Al-Qasim Express Highway
On October 1, 2019, protests erupted across Iraq calling out government officials for their corruption. The movement has attracted the younger generation of Iraqis desperate for change after the American invasion in 2003. The protests also highlighted unemployment rates, inefficient public services, and Iranian foreign influences in Iraq. As tensions began to escalate, protestors demanded the resignation of all government officials. On November 29th, Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi announced he was stepping down in hopes of putting an end to the protests, but this did little to deter people from continuing. From October 2nd to 8th, Iraqi authorities blocked most access to the internet, rendering social media and messaging apps that protesters and others relied on to communicate and document government abuses inaccessible. This was the first of many human rights violations that occurred throughout the timeline of the protests.
Since October, the Iraqi War Crimes Documentation Center has counted more than 600 deaths and over 25,000 injuries. All of these were sustained from anti-riot forces who have used live bullets, tear gas, pepper spray, hot water, and snipers during protests. The anti-riot forces have admitted in the past to using excessive forces during clashes. Little has changed in recent months, with human rights violations continuing into the present. One of the ways security forces hid illegal acts was by using military-grade tear gas canisters to kill. Several deaths evaluated by Amnesty International have shown that security forces were often shooting protestors point-blank in the skull or chest area. One person showed a video of a man who was shot in the back of his skull, and as he stumbled down the road, tear gas was flowing out of his mouth. He was pronounced dead on the spot. There have been reports of several different kinds of tear gas canisters being used, including Serbian and Iranian models, weighing five to ten times heavier than a regular police-grade canister. Examples of common injuries during the protests include asphyxiation from the tear gas, infected wounds from bullet holes, and burns from fires or premature/accidental explosions of Molotov cocktails.
After having applied for my visa in November, it got approved just before I left back to the states for christmas. This meant i needed to start planning the trip details as soon as possible. a journalist friend who i’d met in tunisia was in town, we got drinks at my local bar and i asked for recommendations on fixers since he had been to iraq before. he gave me a name and a number explaining, ‘he was the king of all fixers.’ hopefully this was true. i texted him about rates, story ideas, and what the security situation was like. i decided to take the chance and go, two days later, two french journalists were kidnapped and i had to rethink everything. at this point, it was just precautionary to think things through. I had a visa in my passport and i couldn’t let it go to waste. so i booked my flight, came up with story ideas, researched, and arranged my pick up at the airport.
the morning i woke up to catch my flight, i was full of different emotions. i was excited and nervous, but ready for this grand adventure. that feeling you get when you’re about to explore some place new, it never gets old. my descending flight into baghdad, was unfortunately at 1 am. best time because no is there? or worst time because no one is there? i had yet to decide that. I had befriended an iraqi man before getting on the plane who offered to let me use his phone to contact my fixer once i landed. about half way through the flight, this man gets up from his seat and runs to me, shouting and making a scene. Telling me not to go, that i will be kidnapped and killed, that my body would hang in tahrir square as a threat to all other americans who dared to go to iraq. he urged me to call the embassy as soon as i landed and get on a flight back home. naturally, my anxiety didn’t get better from that. but i kept telling myself that it would be fine. my empty hands had nothing to fiddle with and my heart rate was increasing by the minute, but then the man next to me pulled out a cologne bottle. it seemed familiar, as it turned, i read the label and it was the exact same one my brother has used for years. the name of it was always an inside joke between us. i took this as a sign i was going the right way. we landed, and after my visa got stamped for entry, i went to the toilets. they were decorated with bright yellow, fake flowers and had little butterflies stuck all over the walls. my mum’s nickname for me is “butterfly’ so i took this as a sign also. i had only told two people i was going to iraq, my best friend and my emergency contact, whom i’d share my days itinerary, location, check in calls/texts with in paris. this was for security reasons and also for my family to keep their sanity. it was a difficult decision, especially if there was anything that happened to me, but i knew it was the best one. and having these signs at the beginning of my trip, gave me more confidence.
baghdad airport bathroom
i had picked a hotel as close to tahrir square as possible, as my plans to stay with an iraqi family fell through. it was cheap, it had running water, and wifi so i was good to go. when i arrived the staff was so warm and welcoming. the owner was an engineer and spoke english with me, the rest of the staff only spoke a bit of english but there were plenty of smiles exchanged. the lobby held a giant fish tank and even the tissue holders were bejeweled. eventually, my room. the walls were painted pink and micky mouse was on my garbage can. my fixer, haj, informed me that they probably gave me ‘the girl’s room’ because they mostly host businessmen from saudi arabia. the key to get in my room was so stiff, i immediately hoped there wouldn’t be a reason i’d need to get in quickly. haj stayed outside the door until he heard it lock and then texted me when he was downstairs that he was leaving.
four hours of rest later and we were starting our day early so i could see tahrir square for the first time. i had contacted the iraqi red crescent prior to arriving, asking if i could shadow them for a few days, documenting the work they did. they agreed and haj had set up a meeting for that morning with the director. at first it all seemed very formal, but then he asked for a selfie and it made me feel like i was accepted in some form. i thought this might be it, would it be too much to ask to ride along in ambulances or photograph them treating people? if there’s anything i’ve learned, it’s that you should always ask. they said yes, anytime. and after that, checking in with them everyday was starting to be a routine. haj and i would end our days sitting with them waiting for the ambulance to be called or for someone to come in. most days, nothing happened, and we all sat around drinking tea and getting to know each other until night fall. other nights, injuries would come in and the ambulance would be called out. we sometimes made our way close to the frontlines where tuk tuks would bring bodies to receive medical assistance. tuk tuk drivers held a certain weight around tahrir square. they were the ones going to the frontlines and bringing the injured to ambulances. often times risking their own lives to save others. they had loud horns, which would honk desperately anytime they had an injured person in the back. watching red crescent volunteers immediately wince and turn their heads at the horns, they had a system down to retrieve people from the three wheeled taxis. at night clashes were the worst, and working in the dark is even more difficult. only operating by phone flashlights and the small car lights.
January 20, 2020, Baghdad, Iraq- A protestor suffers from asphyxiation due to tear gas.
january 16, 2020, Baghdad, Iraq- A protestor holds out a tear gas canister that he took from a security force personnel.
January 25, 2020, Baghdad, Iraq- A protestor loads his pockets up with molotov cocktails to throw at anti-riot forces.
As you walk through Tahrir Square two things are noticeable: a large clump of Iraqi flags formed in the shape of a Christmas tree and a 14 story cement building. This cement building is an empty car garage that was nicknamed the “Turkish Restaurant” amongst the public. Tucked between the Tigris River and Tahrir Square, it has become a symbol of the movement since protestors overtook it from security forces who were using it to station snipers. Offering panoramic views, to the left of Al-Jumhuriya Bridge you can see a barricade that separates the protestors from the anti-riot forces on the right.
January 18, 2020- A young man sits on the top of the 14 story building which was nicknamed the “Turkish Restaurant.” To the left of Al-Jumhuriya Bridge you can see a barricade that separates the protestors from the anti-riot forces on the right.
Many protestors live in the Turkish Restaurant, surviving with the bare necessities of fleece blankets, homemade mattress pads, and the occasional ration of food and water. The public cleaning services stopped tending to the protest area due to numerous death threats from the security forces. You can physically smell the consequences of this and navigating your way through the empty water bottles, food containers, and sewage is difficult to do. Most don’t live in these conditions because they want to, but because they were forced to choose between living and dying. People who leave the protest area risked being kidnapped by Iran backed militias, who often searched phones for proof they’ve been in Tahrir Square. Militias even surveyed social media posts to specifically target those who chose to express their participation. Many men and women came from other cities such as Basra and Najaf to show their support and join their friends living in Baghdad, knowing they may be separated from their families for long periods.
January 16, 2020, baghdad, iraq- The turkish restaurant.
january 16, 2020, baghdad, iraq- the outside of abdul and his friend’s house inside the turkish restaurant.
January 16, 2020, baghdad, iraq- trash surrounding the protest area. with graffiti in the background saying, "‘the poor people are the victim of all the military and political ways.’
lack of cleaning services is also the cause of more problems residents face. such as illnesses due to the large amounts of bacteria, contaminated areas where food is prepared and stored, and relatively simple things are regarded as life-threatening. on January 18th, there was a small fire in the turkish restaurant. some residence blamed it on a cigarette, others said it was from a molotov cocktail accidentally exploding. the fire climbed two stories, leaving homes of protestors destroyed and third-degree burns on those who couldn’t escape quick enough. the turkish restaurant only contains stairs and often times little to no light up them, making it difficult for rescue services to reach them. while rescue services navigate the dimly lit hallways, sewage, and trash, they must watch closely for random holes in the floor that if fallen in, can result in serious injury or even death.
January 16, 2020, baghdad, iraq- a protestor, Abdul (name changed for security reasons) sits in his “home” inside the turkish restaurant.
january 18, 2020, baghdad, iraq- a protestor living in the turkish restaurant takes a moment to have fun on a homemade swing.
january 18, 2020, baghdad, iraq- a view of tahrir square.
january 16, 2020, baghdad, iraq- a protestor walks in the staircase of the turkish restaurant, in the background is an image of a man gone missing and a number people can call if they’re found.
Protestors aren’t the only ones receiving life-threatening backlash for their involvement, but also medical personnel and journalists. One of many, a journalist, Youssef Sattar, was killed instantly by live fire while covering clashes in January. A few weeks before Sattar’s death, a young man living in the Turkish Restaurant claims that a volunteer medic who had treated him for previous injuries was kidnapped, raped, and burned alive. These and more stories like it become familiar while exploring Tahrir Square. Fading pictures are plastered up against the sides of buildings showing young boys and girls who have lost their lives or gone missing during the protests. Below the portrait of them smiling or dressed in their high school soccer uniform is a number you can call if you see them.
january 15, 2020, Baghdad, Iraq- A small shrine set up for those who have lost their lives during the protests.
january 30, 2020, baghdad, iraq- protestors carry a prop coffin symbolizing their friend who died during clashes that day with security forces.
Spanning about two kilometers in length, the protest area is secured by blast walls on either end with Iraqi police doing routine checks for weapons. As you walk down the street to Tahrir Square, you can see shops with their doors open, people with large carts selling coats, tea kettles, and phone cases for unusually low prices. Occasionally, a man selling cotton candy can be seen wandering around the square, temporary medical stands with free access to ibuprofen, gauze, and other basic medicine, lines the streets every few meters, tuk-tuks weave in and out of what seems like empty streets now. After over 110 days of protests, the movement has lost heat, according to the Iraqi Red Crescent who have a tent in Tahrir Square. During the start of protests in October, they didn’t even have time to light a cigarette. The tents suffered from overcrowding and they often would work long shifts, many of them being volunteers. Now they sit quietly waiting to receive a call. The streets have been drained, and they say that the protests will probably end soon because the rest of the world has forgotten. They each chain smoke cigarettes they now have time to light. in their spare time, the volunteer medics give free trainings to protestors on how to handle choking, asphyxiation, stop bleeding wounds, etc.
january 21, 2020, baghdad, iraq- a man suffering from broken ribs is helped onto a stretcher to be taken to the hospital.
january 16, 2020, baghdad, iraq- protestors watch the medic teach them how to do cpr.
january 16, 2020, baghdad, iraq- protesters take a class from the red crescent about how to give basic medical assistance.
january 23, 2020, baghdad, iraq- basic medical supplies at the red crescent tent for protestors to take.
The silence breaks while the government ignores the protestor’s demands and large tires are loaded in tuk-tuks to be burned at the frontlines. Their anger is transparent while they chant among the streets, making their presence known again but the government fails to listen. Fires erupt and thick black smoke occupies every inch of the sky.
January 22, 2020, Baghdad, Iraq- Protestors march through Tahrir Square demanding that anti-riot forces release their friends after recent arrests had been made.
January 20, 2020, Baghdad, Iraq- Three protestors load tires on a tuk tuk, a three wheeled taxi, to bring to the frontlines.
january 25, 2020, baghdad, iraq- a protestor receives treatment for asphyxiation during clashes with security forces.
January 25, 2020, baghdad, iraq- a man holds out a bullet that was reportedly shot at protestors by security forces.
Bullets echo, eventually fading into the rest of the background noise and the life around is contrastingly happening at a normal pace. A man takes a nap on the street and kids are playing, large pots of rice are stirred and afternoon tea is served right on time. That night, the escalations continue and casualty reports come in higher than they have been since October.
january 30, 2020, baghdad, iraq- protestors line up in tahrir square to receive dinner.
January 22, 2020, Baghdad, Iraq- Three Iraqi policemen keep warm by a small fire during their shift. Behind them are the cement walls used to secure the protest area where pat downs and bag checks take place before entering.
january 30, 2020, baghdad, iraq- men stir large pots of rice in tahrir square to serve to protestors.
January 18, 2020, Baghdad, Iraq- A woman on the top floor of the Turkish Restaurant walks past a pile of bricks. These bricks used to resemble an extension of the building, but was torn down for protestors to use the bricks for projectiles to launch at security forces via a homemade slingshot.
On February 1, 2020, Mohammed Allawi was appointed as the new Prime Minister. This change did little to ease the minds of demonstrators because of Allawi’s involvement in Iraq’s politics during the invasion. Demonstrators were determined to overthrow all political leaders who had previous ties with Iran. Though his position caused more upheaval, Allwai gained the approval of a majority ruling Shia leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, of whom many protestors are devout followers. Sadr called for a “million-man march” to protest the American troops in Iraq. At this march, he criticized the youth-led protests and asked those who followed him to pull out. Just a few hours later, Tahrir Square was emptied of Sadrists, proving their loyalty. This created internal divisions within the movement, and security forces took advantage of the weaker numbers and infiltrated Tahrir Square in hopes of ending the protests.
January 23, 2020, Baghdad, Iraq- Supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr gather to protest the presence of the U.S. in Iraq.
January 23, 2020, Baghdad, Iraq- Members of the Sadrist movement stomp on U.S. and Israeli flags.
anuary 23, 2020, Baghdad, Iraq- A woman in support of Al Sadr calls for the presence of American forces to leave Iraq.
Just a few hundred meters from the frontlines, life outside of them went on. Families still went to evening prayers at the mosques, people went to cafes for tea and browsed the book markets, and couples sat alongside the Tigris River for a romantic date. Despite the multiple wars the country has endured and continues too, these peaceful scenes are an example of what Iraqi youths are setting to achieve for their country as a whole. Presently, the protests have suspended due to the outbreak of COVID-19, so the future is unknown. The impact of the demonstrations, however, has made history by demanding a better way of life for Iraq and the next generation.
January 22, 2020, Baghdad, Iraq- An old man walks along a road that was previously a site of clashes until protestors moved security forces back just over 100 meters away.
January 17, 2020, Baghdad, Iraq- A man selling prayer beads on Almutanabi Street.
January 16, 2020, Baghdad, Iraq- A little girl who lives in Tahrir Square with her family plays with her friends on a homemade swing.
January 25, 2020, Baghdad, Iraq- A boy points his toy gun at his mother in a grocery store.