In the ‘roaring’ anti-government protests in Iraq, one of the demonstrators brought along with him a Lion draped in Iraq’s national flag, apparently to battle out dogs deployed by the police to subdue the protests.
MEANWHILE IN #IRAQ
Iraqi protesters bring LION to the protesting areas after security forces intervened protests with Police dogs. pic.twitter.com/zkELq6IPcK
— Fatih (@fatihcagrii) November 14, 2019
A video of the handler bringing a lion on the streets of Baghdad is doing the rounds on the Internet. In the now viral video that is embedded in the above tweet, a handler can be seen with a lion draped in Iraq’s flag can be seen. The lion lunges at a group of onlookers before being restrained by the handler.
The city of Baghdad has witnessed numerous protests in the last month and a half with demonstrators hitting the streets over issues of corruption, unemployment and the dis-functioning state. Violence has accompanied in many protests as the law enforcement authorities have used brute force to quell the protests. This has resulted in hundreds of casualties as the authorities have not shied away from firing live rounds and hurling tear gas shells directly at protesters, along with snapping Internet connection across the nation.
The protesters want the country to usher in a new era with electoral reforms, constitutional amendments and infrastructure legislations. The Iraqi parliament has acknowledged these demands and received a draft of a new electoral law this week. However, it has not been debated yet.
Recognising the resentment among public, Iraq’s current Prime Minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi has assured that he would step down from his post and hold a snap parliamentary election but with a caveat that he would do so only if the parliamentarians found a suitable replacement for him in the interim.
