ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Supporters of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF or Hashd al-Shaabi) protested in front of the Kurdistan Region’s ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Baghdad on Saturday, setting the building alight following comments from a senior KDP official about the militia network.
“Supporters and members of Hashd al-Shaabi have begun protesting in front of the KDP office in Baghdad. Some of them have entered the building,” Showan Mohammed, head of the KDP office in Baghdad, told Rudaw on Saturday morning.
Protesters also set fire to a Kurdistan Region flag and stepped on photographs of KDP leader Masoud Barzani, according to video footage obtained by Rudaw.
Mohammed told Rudaw on Friday that security forces and KDP guards were protecting the building and had spoken to government authorities.
A Rudaw reporter at the scene said security forces, numbering around 500 members, did not act against the protesters.
The incident follows comments from Hoshyar Zebari, politburo member of the KDP and former Iraqi foreign minister, who earlier this month described the clearing of Baghdad’s Green Zone of “militia and popular forces” as an “essential task,” as well as changing the leaders of the PMF.
He has also attacked the PMF for its alleged involvement in regular attacks on Baghdad International Airport and the US Embassy in the city, saying they are “determined to escalate” the deteriorating security situation.
The PMF is a paramilitary network of around 60 militias and was established in 2014 following a following a fatwa, or religious call to action, from Iraq’s highest Shiite authority Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, in response to the Islamic State (ISIS) insurgency.
Newly-formed PMF-linked groups, including Rab’allah and Ahbabullah, are among those threatening the KDP for Zebari’s comments.
“We are committed to our appointment tomorrow at 10:00am,” Rab’allah said in a Friday statement, referring to a previous call for protest.
“I did not attack Hashd Al Shaabi.. they are putting words in my mouth, we all have respect for Hashd,” Zebari told Al Ahd TV on Saturday.
“My expression did not help me, I meant the cleansing of the Green Zone, not that Hashd needs to be cleansed," he said, referring to his previous comments. "The Hashd are brave warriors and I cannot lessen or criticize their sacrifices.”
“They are bringing a comment from Mr Hoshyar Zebari as an excuse while other people have made even stronger comments but they did not receive reactions. They [Hashd] really hate us but this culture is not in favor of Iraq and it is a bad action because these groups want to show that Baghdad is not secure,” Mohammed said on Friday.
Shiite MP Yousef al-Kalabi called on Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi this week to act against Zebari’s comments. He added that they will not accept disrespect against the PMF and “will take to streets against this.”
Updated at 12:21pm
