Hundreds of Iraqi protesters have breached Baghdad’s parliament building in a protest against the selection of a nominee for prime minister by Iran-backed parties.
Only security forces were inside the building and they appeared to allow the protesters in with relative ease.
Many were followers of an influential cleric and some were seen walking on tables and waving Iraqi flags.
The breach comes amid the biggest protest since Iraqi elections were held in October.
The demonstrators were protesting against the recent nomination of Mohammed al Sudani as the official nominee of the Co-ordination Framework bloc, a coalition led by Iran-backed Shiite parties and their allies.
Earlier on Wednesday demonstrators breached Baghdad‘s heavily fortified Green Zone.
Riot police used water cannons to repel demonstrators pulling down cement blast walls.
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But many breached the gates to the area, which houses government buildings and foreign embassies.
The demonstrators walked down the zone’s main thoroughfare, with dozens gathering outside the doors to the parliament building.
Caretaker prime minister Mustafa al Kadhimi called for calm and restraint, and for protesters to “immediately withdraw” from the area.
The demonstrators were largely followers of influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr, who recently stepped down from the political process despite winning the most seats in the October federal election.
Protesters carried portraits of the cleric.
In 2016, al Sadr supporters stormed the parliament in a similar fashion.
They staged a sit-in and issued demands for political reform after then-prime minister Haider al Abadi sought to replace party-affiliated ministers with technocrats in an anti-corruption drive.
Mr al Sudani was selected by State of Law leader and former premier Nouri al Maliki.
Before Mr al Sudani can face parliament to be seated officially as premier-designate, parties must first select a president.
Mr al Sadr exited government formation talks after he was not able to persuade enough legislators to choose him as Iraq’s next president.
By replacing his legislators, the Framework leader pushed ahead to form the next government.
Many fear doing so also opens the doors to street protests organised by Mr al Sadr’s large grass roots following and instability.
