By Anas al-Bar | 2026-11-06

On the 7th anniversary of the historic Tishreen protests, demonstrators returned to Tahrir Square in central Baghdad to renew their demands.

Thousands of youth and families gathered beneath the central monument where the 2019 uprising ignited before spreading across southern Iraq.

Protesters hoisted Iraqi flags, affirming a powerful national identity that transcends the sub-national sectarian affiliations favored by regional political powers.

They displayed the iconic "we want a homeland" slogan, a rallying cry that has defined the popular movement since inception.

Participants reiterated their firm rejection of Iraq serving as an arena for foreign power struggles that jeopardize national security daily.

Condemning the negative role of Iran and its affiliated militias remains a prominent feature of these renewed anniversary demonstrations today.

No place for armed militias

Citizens rejected how these unchecked militias drag the nation into regional conflicts, displaying blatant disregard for the rule of law.

Their hostility toward the national will was underscored when the Popular Mobilization Forces labeled the uprising’s start a "black day."

Strategy expert Tareq al-Shammari noted that this characterization exposes the deep-seated malice militias hold toward peaceful movements seeking democratic reform.

"The Tishreen message remains clear: there is no place for any group acting above the law," he told Al-Fassel.

Resonant chants still echo through the square, most notably declaring: "Iran and its proxies, out! Baghdad shall remain free today."

"All these demands stem from the lived reality of Iraqis fed up with systemic corruption, theft and inherent hostility," al-Shammari said.

During the 2019 protests, militias resorted to brutal, violent repression in a desperate attempt to silence the rising youth movement.

Reports documented the state-sanctioned killing of nearly 600 Iraqis in protest squares, with another 20,000 citizens sustaining life-altering injuries.

The death toll eventually surpassed 800 as many wounded demonstrators succumbed to their injuries in the years following the violence.

This carnage occurred alongside calculated waves of assassinations, targeted killings and forced disappearances carried out against brave activists and journalists.

Restoring the state’s lost prestige

With each passing anniversary, protesters demand that all murderous perpetrators be handed over to the judiciary to face just retribution.

Many remain at large, shielded from accountability by Iran-backed groups that the current government is now actively working to disarm.

Al-Shammari emphasized that the Tishreen movement views these militias as "cancerous cells within the body of the Iraqi state today."

To weaken them, the instruments of killing and oppression must be stripped from the hands of their violent, radical members.

Protesters support the government’s approach because it protects Iraqi lives, restores national prestige and consolidates long-term stability and democratic governance.