Protest Art and Politics in Baghdad, Iraq: November 7, 2025

2019 Protest Art

We took a drive through a tunnel decorated with anti-government protest art from 2019. The October demonstrations, spurred by the youth, became the largest and longest lasting uprising since 2003. People were protesting government corruption, unemployment, and lack of public services like clean water and electricity. In the first six months, security forces and paramilitary groups loosely connected to the government killed 600 protesters and injured more than 20,000. The prime minister resigned. Protesters demanded a complete overhaul of the political system. The protests continued until coronavirus restrictions were put in place.

Many of the faces on the walls are the faces of those martyrs who were killed during the uprising.

We also drove around Baghdad to look at some of the monuments and sculptures. First we stopped at The Martyr's Monument which could only be viewed from afar because it was closed.

In the 70s a sculpture of Scheherazade and the King was installed in a park. It is still there.

In the late aftrnoon we went into the Green Zone. It used to be mostly off limits but eventually cars were allowed to drive through but people weren't allowed to walk around there. Mahdi was able to get permission for us to walk around. As we were almost there he was advised that a political rally was about to happen. The current ruling party was having a rally, and we were there.

Everything was fine until we got to the police line under Saddam's swords. There was some kind of a miscommunication and we weren't allowed to continue forward. Several of the police security officers posed for me. Rally attendants didn't seem to mind being photographed either.

It was getting late and it was Mahdi's birthday and we had a surprise ahead for him. Mahdi's mother and grandmother were invited to join us. The dinner was at See Baghdad restaurant with a beautiful rooftop view.

Today was certainly exciting. Tomorrow we drive to Samarra, Hatra, and Mosul.