Baghdad Puts All Security Forces On Highest Alert
Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service, Federal Police Command, and all interior police units have been deployed in full force across Baghdad's main streets and intersections, as October protest movement activists call on social media for mass demonstrations marking the anniversary of the 2019 uprising
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Iraqi security authorities placed all security institutions in Baghdad on their highest state of readiness on Saturday, cancelling all leave for security personnel and recalling all staff to their posts, as October protest movement activists have been calling on social media for large demonstrations marking the anniversary of Iraq's widespread 2019 protests, Kurdistan 24 Baghdad correspondent Dilan Barzan reported.
Iraqi security officials decided to cancel all leave for security forces and recall all personnel to their positions, with the measure covering Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service, the Federal Police Command, and all interior police units, deploying them in full force with all equipment across the capital's main streets and key intersections.
The October Anniversary
This heightened security posture comes as Tishreen movement activists and advocates have in recent days been posting calls on social media for the resumption of widespread protests to mark the anniversary of the 2019 mass demonstrations that swept Iraq. The 2019 uprising, which began in October of that year, was one of the largest protest movements in Iraqi history, bringing hundreds of thousands of people to the streets of Baghdad and southern cities demanding an end to corruption, Iranian interference, and the ruling political class. Security forces' response to those protests resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries.
Security authorities are seeking, through pre-emptive control of key squares and public spaces, to prevent any gatherings from forming and to head off any security disturbance before it can develop.
The security mobilization arrives at an already tense moment for Baghdad, with the city simultaneously managing the closure of Iran border crossings under US pressure, the active US-Iran conflict and its militia dimensions, an ongoing militia disarmament deadline set for June 2027, and budget negotiations with the Kurdistan Region. The prospect of a public protest wave on top of those pressures represents a significant additional security and political challenge for the Iraqi government.