Iraqi Demonstrations Grow Even Larger but Violence Suppressed

Friday’s demonstrations in Iraq saw numbered “tens of thousands,” but the level violence grew failed to match the numbers to which the ranks swelled. When the protests began a month ago, hundreds were killed. But this weekend’s version was preceded by calls for peaceful protests by the Iraqi president and a number of religious leaders. However, no one is viewing the public demonstrations as safe to join and a reversion to a much more aggressive atmosphere could come at any time. President Barham Silah said that Prime Minister Abdel Abdul Mahdi, whose removal is a demand of many of the demonstrators, would be willing to resign but only after a successor is set in order to avoid any Lebanon-like power vacuum. According to the Iranians, the instability is the work of the United States and Israel.