BAGHDAD, Iraq – Looming large over Baghdad’s Tahrir Square is the dilapidated shell of a tower that once housed a luxurious Turkish restaurant. Since mass unrest resumed in the capital last Friday, the 14-storey tower has become a symbolic and strategically important landmark.
Badly damaged by US bombs during the 2003 ‘shock and awe’ campaign, the building has remained empty for years. Fearing the structure could offer a good vantage point for groups to attack the fortified Green Zone across the river, security authorities blocked its redevelopment.
Now the tower has been taken over by protesters, who have converged on Baghdad’s central Tahrir Square and Jumhuriyah (Republican) Bridge to demand jobs, services, and action on corruption. Many are now calling for revolution.
Nicknamed ‘The Turkish Restaurant’ by protesters, Iraqi flags and banners now fly from its rooftop.
“This place is close to the Green [Zone]. Things are under our control here,” one protester told Rudaw inside the occupation.
“If they [Iraqi security forces] climb up here, they will establish control over the people. If they climb up here, they will take control of Baghdad [and end the protests],” another protester said.
The protesters say snipers took control of the tower during the first wave of unrest after October 1, where they were able to clear the square and disperse the protests.
This time, the protesters rushed to occupy the building and drape it with a long Iraqi flag. Its strategic position means security forces can no longer use it fire on protesters below attempting to cross the river into the Green Zone.
The restaurant occupying the top floor of the tower was once considered one of the most luxurious in pre-2003 Iraq, under the rule of Saddam Hussein. Lower floors housed a shopping complex and an expansive garage.
The symbolism of the site has spread to other provinces in the Shiite-majority south. Now, empty buildings in other cities are being commandeered by protesters for their strategic position – and are also being dubbed ‘The Turkish Restaurant’.
The protesters say they want to see parliament dissolved and the foundation of presidential system – free from the monopoly of the established parliamentary parties.
During Saddam era there was one “tyrant”, a protester in The Turkish Restaurant told Rudaw. “Now there are a thousand tyrants.”
At least 257 people have been killed and 10,000 wounded since protests first swept Iraq on October 1, according to the Iraqi Human Rights Commission – many shot with live ammunition.
Following widespread condemnation for the use of live ammunition against protesters, the security forces have begun firing military-grade teargas canisters directly into the crowd. Several protesters have been killed or seriously injured when the high velocity metal canisters became lodged in their skulls.
Multiple graphic videos have emerged on social media of young men with smoke pouring out of their eye sockets after being hit by the Bulgarian- and Serbian-made grenades.
Colored construction helmets, similar to those worn by Hong Kong’s protesters, could be seen amongst the crowd on Thursday and Friday to guard against projectiles.
“As both the police and military grenades are fired with a similar muzzle velocity, meaning they travel through the air at the same speed, the grenades that weigh 10 times as much deliver 10 times the force when they strike a protester. This is why they have caused such horrific injuries,” said Brian Castner, Amnesty International’s Senior Crisis Adviser on Arms and Military Operations, on Thursday.
Amnesty cited an Iraqi medical worker who said they have seen six or seven head injuries caused by the grenades since October 25. In five of those cases the projectile canister was lodged in the victim’s skull.
“All the evidence points to Iraqi security forces deploying these military-grade grenades against protesters in Baghdad, apparently aiming for their heads or bodies at point-blank range,” said Lynn Maalouf, Middle East Research Director at Amnesty International.
“This has had devastating results, in multiple cases piercing the victims’ skulls, resulting in gruesome wounds and death after the grenades embed inside their heads.”
Iraqi protesters in Tahrir Square confirmed teargas canisters had been directly fired at them.
“Teargas hurts us. They hit protesters at point blank,” one protester in the square, who was recovering from the effects of inhaling the fumes, told Rudaw on Thursday.
According to Amnesty, the effects of military-grade tear gas are also stronger than regular police-issued canisters.
“Our weapon is Pepsi and IV drips. Nothing else,” the recovering protester said. Many believe the carbonated soft drink relieves the effects of teargas.
“They use other stuff against us. They have hurt the protesters. Lots of them are dead,” the protester added.
Another protester, who was being treated for a leg injury after a canister ricocheted off his shin, accused security forces of firing on them directly rather than into the air.
Hunar Ahmed contributed to this report
