BAGHDAD: Thousands of angry protesters broke into Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone on Saturday and stormed the Iraqi parliament building after lawmakers 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.

The Iraqi capital was already on high alert for a major Shia pilgrimage, participants in which were targeted in a bombing that killed 23 on Saturday, but extra security measures were taken after protesters stormed the Green Zone.

“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.

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 reporter said.

Security forces were present but did not try to prevent the demonstrators from entering the parliament building, the reporter said.Protesters pulled barbed wire across a road leading to one of the exits of the Green Zone, effectively preventing some scared lawmakers from fleeing the chaos.

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

Inside the main hall where lawmakers 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.” “We are the ones running this country now, the time of the corrupt is over,” said another protester, as crowds filled rooms throughout the building.

Parliament failed to reach a quorum on Saturday after approving some of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s ministerial nominees earlier in the week.

The Green Zone unrest kicked off as Sadr ended a news conference in Najaf during which he condemned the political deadlock.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2016