Shafaq News- Baghdad

Shop owners near Tahrir Square in central Baghdad temporarily closed their businesses on Saturday following security instructions ahead of demonstrations scheduled for October 25 to mark the seventh anniversary of Iraq’s 2019 Tishreen protests.

Owners of printing shops, illuminated sign businesses, and photography studios in Bab Al-Sharqi told Shafaq News that security personnel had instructed them to suspend operations until Sunday’s demonstrations concluded. They also reported receiving warnings against printing anti-government slogans or banners.

Shafaq News cameras documented shuttered storefronts and largely deserted commercial areas near the square.

Iraqi security authorities could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Tishreen protests began on October 1, 2019, in Baghdad and southern Iraq, driven by anger over corruption, unemployment, and poor public services, before resuming on October 25 after a brief pause. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, reported that at least 541 protesters were killed and more than 20,000 wounded during the unrest.

Read more: Six years post-Tishreen uprising: Sacrifices outweigh political gain