Anbar Protests Continue Amid Rumors of Foreign Support
As anti-government protests continue in Iraq, questions have arisen over the funding of demonstrations, with some accusing protesters of receiving foreign money, writes Omar al-Shaher.
Amid the clamor caused by the ongoing protests in Anbar province in western Iraq, which are nearing their 50th day, demonstrators have pitched huge tents and blocked traffic on the highway linking Iraq to Jordan and Syria. The protest organizers said that the main square was attracting a million people each Friday, including many participants from thousands of miles away, who require food and a place to sleep.
On one such Friday, 200 sheep were slaughtered to provide demonstrators with food. On another Friday, the city of Hit, located 50 miles west of Ramadi, served demonstrators 2,000 dishes of meat and rice for lunch. The demonstration’s organizers said that Friday lunch meals can cost upwards of $60,000.
Qusay Zain, a spokesman for the protest, said that tribal leaders in Ramadi compete to serve lunch to protesters, despite the exorbitant costs. "This time, many tribal leaders in Anbar have taken honorable stances,” he said.
Rich tribal leaders in Ramadi have been involved in trade and commerce over the years, but other, less wealthy tribal leaders have also offered to provide lunch for demonstrators. In some cases, tribal leaders collect a certain amount of money from every member of their tribe over the age of 18 to finance the meals, while others covered the expenses themselves.
