Protesters storm Iraqi Parliament

Iraqi protesters take a selfie as they gather inside Parli-ament after breaking into Baghdad’s heavily-fortified Green Zone. (Photo: AFP)

Thousands of angry protesters broke into Baghdad’s heavily-fortified Green Zone on Saturday and stormed the Iraqi Parliament building after legislators again failed to approve new ministers.

Jubilant supporters of Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr invaded the main session hall, shouting slogans glorifying their leader and claiming that they had rooted out corruption.

“You are not staying here! This is your last day in the Green Zone,” shouted one protester as thousands broke in.

Besides the Parliament compound, the restricted area in central Baghdad houses the presidential palace, the Prime Minister’s office and several embassies, including those of the United States and Britain.

Protesters attached cables to the tops of heavy concrete blast walls that surround the Green Zone, pulling them down to create an opening, an AFP journalist said.

They then headed to Parliament, where some rampaged through the building and broke into offices, while other protesters shouted “peacefully, peacefully” and tried to contain the destruction, another AFP reporter said.

Protesters pulled barbed wire across a road leading to one of the exits of the Green Zone, effectively preventing some scared legislators from fleeing the chaos.

They also attacked and damaged several vehicles they believed belonged to legislators.

Inside the main hall where legislators failed to reach a quorum earlier in the day, protesters sat in the MPs’ seats taking “selfies” and shouting slogans.

One protester called a friend on his mobile: “I am sitting in (Parliament Speaker) Salim al-Juburi’s chair, I have a meeting, we’ll talk later.”