Sadr Calls for Mass Protests Against U.S.-Israeli Actions in Gaza, Urges Iraqis to March in Unity
Al-Sadr encouraged demonstrators to burn Israeli and American flags during the "peaceful but angry" protests, stressing the importance of only raising Palestinian and Iraqi flags.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Influential Iraqi Shiite cleric and nationalist leader Muqtada al-Sadr has called on his supporters to stage nationwide protests next Friday in condemnation of what he described as "the brutal Zionist-American aggression" against Gaza.
In a statement issued Saturday, al-Sadr urged Iraqis to participate in "peaceful but angry" demonstrations following Friday prayers in their respective areas.
"You, my dear reformers in our beloved Iraq… on your next Friday, you must rise in a peaceful yet indignant protest, wherever you pray," the statement read.
He condemned the “massacres against innocents, children, medical personnel, and journalists” being carried out in Gaza, and called for symbolic acts of resistance.
Al-Sadr encouraged demonstrators to burn Israeli and American flags during the protests, stressing the importance of only raising Palestinian and Iraqi flags. “No other flag should be lifted but those of Palestine and Iraq—nothing else,” he declared.
In a dramatic gesture recalling past Shiite symbolism, he added: “If you choose to, wear white burial shrouds in emulation of what my late father once did,” referring to his father, Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr, who wore a white shroud as a symbol of defiance against Saddam Hussein’s regime in the 1990s.
Muqtada al-Sadr remains one of Iraq’s most powerful political and religious figures. Known for mobilizing massive grassroots protests, he has often played a balancing role between Iraqi nationalism, anti-Western sentiment, and calls for reform. His influence extends beyond the Shiite community and into broader political life in Iraq.
The call for protests by al-Sadr follows months of conflict in Gaza that began after Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., EU, and several other countries, launched a large-scale attack on southern Israel in October 2024. The attack triggered a prolonged Israeli military campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas's military infrastructure.
Since then, the conflict has resulted in severe humanitarian consequences, with thousands of civilians trapped in dire conditions. While international attention has focused on ending hostilities and providing aid, voices like al-Sadr’s continue to shape public sentiment in Iraq, where widespread solidarity with the Palestinian people exists, even as views vary on the root causes and key actors involved in the crisis.
Al-Sadr’s message appears aimed at mobilizing public support for the people of Gaza while framing the protest as a broader call for unity and resistance to perceived injustice. However, his rhetoric also comes at a time when regional leaders are urging de-escalation and calling for political solutions to prevent further civilian suffering and regional instability.
The expected Friday protests could mark one of the largest coordinated public responses in Iraq to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas since its escalation in late 2024.
