Influential Shiite Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr Leads Thousands in Baghdad Anti-Government Demonstration

Thousands of Shiite supporters of influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr flocked to Baghdad’s Tahrir Square on Friday, August 4, to rally against recently proposed electoral legislation in the Iraqi parliament.Sadr has made a number of statements critical of the legislation, which he believes will allow for the current governing coalition to ensure its electoral survival while continuing corrupt business practices. The weekly rallies led by al-Sadr in Tahrir Square, which have often drawn thousands of people, have consistently pushed back the expected date of Iraqi provincial elections, which are scheduled to be held in September.The demonstration concluded peacefully as most similar incidents have in the past, but Iraqi officials heightened security measures in the eastern part of the city overnight. Credit: Twitter/MethaqAlFayyadh via Storyful