Hundreds of Iraqis are rallying in central Baghdad in duelling pro- and anti-government demonstrations. Supporters of Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki descended on Tahrir Square for a rally that appears to be an attempt to overshadow the small group of anti-government protesters who demonstrate weekly in the capital.
The anti-government group criticised Al-Maliki for failing to improve government services after his self-imposed time limit for enacting reforms expired June 7. The pro-government demonstrators celebrated the death sentences issued against 15 alleged Al-Qaeda members for their role in an attack on a wedding party in 2006 that killed 70 people. The incident has become a rallying cry for Al-Maliki supporters who use it to highlight the prime minister’s security credentials.