BAGHDAD, IRAQ – OCTOBER 25, 2026: Demonstrators gathered in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square on Sunday to mark the seventh anniversary of the October 2019 protest movement, renewing demands for economic improvements and accountability for the killing of protesters.
Participants waved Iraqi flags and displayed portraits commemorating those killed during the Tishreen uprising. They called for those responsible for the deaths to be identified and prosecuted, keeping demands for justice at the centre of the anniversary gathering.
According to the report accompanying Muntazer Uday Sahib’s photographs, demonstrators also demanded better economic conditions and action to curb the rising value of the US dollar against the Iraqi dinar.
Security forces and riot police were deployed around the square. The photographs show rows of helmeted officers beneath the Freedom Monument, while demonstrators gathered nearby carrying flags and recording the mobilisation on their phones.
The anniversary recalls the nationwide protest movement that began in October 2019, when demands over unemployment, inadequate public services and corruption developed into a broader challenge to Iraq’s political system. Seven years later, participants returned to the square to reaffirm demands for justice and improved living conditions.
Photos: © Muntazer Uday Sahib / MedPress
