Baghdad, Iraq
CNN
—
Hundreds of angry protesters loyal to nationalist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr broke into the heavily protected Green Zone in Baghdad on Wednesday, denouncing the nomination of Mohammed Shiya al-Sudani for the position of prime minister.
Al-Sudani was formally nominated Monday by the Coordination Framework, the largest Shiite alliance in the Iraqi parliament, nine months after elections were held.
Iraqi security forces used teargas and watercannons to disperse the protesters in an attempt to push them back outside the Green Zone’s perimeter.
The outgoing government of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi issued a statement calling on protesters to “to immediately withdraw from the Green Zone,” preserve public and private properties and to abide by the instructions of the security forces.
“The security forces will be committed to protecting state institutions and international missions, and preventing any disturbance of security and order,” al-Kadhimi added.