The Iraqi youth October 2019 Uprising (Tishreen intifada): reality and prospects

In October 2019, massive demonstrations swept Baghdad and southern Iraqi provinces. These demonstrations differed from earlier ones, in terms of duration, number of casualties and excessive methods used to silence them. This article analyses what became known as the Tishreen Uprising, or intifada, its causes, achievements and prospects. The Uprising was a peaceful rejection of the occupation, the quota system, the sectarian and racial policies applied, corruption and, above all, foreign intervention, mainly by the United States and Iran. This article will concentrate on the development of the events and their effects on Iraqi politics and way of life. It will also try to show the Uprising’s unique characteristics, such as the heavy involvement of young women, the role of the religious institution in Najaf (al-Hawza) and the fact that it mainly swept the predominantly Shi‘i provinces. Finally, the article will show the successes and failures of the Uprising, its future and the prospects of it flaring up again.