Hundreds of Shiite Muslims rallied in Baghdad on Friday to mark Quds, or Jerusalem Day. The event was organized by the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) militias backed by Iran. The PMF held a military parade, while other protesters burned Israeli and US flags, and drove over photos of US president Donald Trump and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed Bin Salman.
The event was launched by Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979, to show support for Palestinians and call for the return of Jerusalem to the Palestinians, but is often also marked with anti-Israel rhetoric. The event is held each year on the last Friday of the month of Ramadan, with demonstrations held in cities worldwide.
This year’s rallies come as the US plans to roll out the first phase of its Mideast peace plan. While details of the plan have yet to be released, snapshots suggest that it’s biased in favor of Israel and sidelines the Palestinian goal of independence, and has been rejected by Palestinian leaders and many in the Arab world.
Photos: Images from Baghdad taken May 31, 2019. AFP / AHMAD AL-RUBAYE
