A year after Iraq protests, what has changed?

Back in October 2019, unprecedented protests demanded the fall of Iraq’s ruling class. One year on, with a new government in place and almost 600 protesters killed, almost nothing has changed. The nationwide demonstrations which broke out on October 1, 2019 grew into a decentralised movement slamming unemployment, poor public services, endemic corruption and a political class more loyal to Iran or the US than to Iraqi citizens. It led to the shock December 1 resignation of prime minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, succeeded after months of political deadlock by Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi, who pledged to integrate protesters’ demands into his transitional government’s plans. But on the ground,...