Hundreds protest in Baghdad against Saudi crown prince’s visit
The protesters assembled in the early afternoon after midday prayers, some holding signs calling the crown prince a war criminal and others which blamed Saudi Arabia for crimes committed by the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Hundreds of people gathered in the capital of Iraq on Friday to protest the upcoming visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The protesters assembled in the early afternoon after midday prayers, some holding signs calling the crown prince a war criminal and others which blamed Saudi Arabia for crimes committed by the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq. Many protesters waved the flags of Iraq and the Shia militia Kata'ib Hezbollah.
Prince Mohammed is planning to visit Baghdad in the near future, but a date has not yet been set, according to the Iraqi Prime Minister’s press office.
Both countries have had a strained relationship over the past decades, but recently ties were restored following Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's visit to Riyadh last year after relations between Iraq and Saudi Arabia were normalized in 2016.
Prince Mohammed is currently on a tour in the US. Earlier in March, he visited the UK and met with British officials.
Editing by John J. Catherine