حراك تشرين I Tishreen (Iraq 2019)

In October 2019, Iraq witnessed the rise of the Tishreen Movement (al-hirāk al-tishrīnī), a spontaneous, youth-led protest wave that began in Baghdad and quickly spread across the country. What started as demonstrations against unemployment, poor public services, and systemic corruption evolved into one of the largest grassroots uprisings since 2003. Protesters denounced the sectarian-based political order established after the U.S. invasion and demanded a complete overhaul of Iraq’s governance — free from foreign interference and political patronage.

For months, public squares became spaces of political awakening and solidarity. Protesters set up tents, organized discussions, and created their own symbols, slogans, and art. Despite facing brutal repression from security forces and militia groups — resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands injured — the movement persisted, eventually forcing the resignation of Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi in late 2019.

In the aftermath, early elections were called, and several independent candidates linked to the movement entered parliament in 2021. Yet many of the movement’s key demands — justice for the killed protesters, an end to corruption, and real political reform — remain unresolved.