Iraqi protesters attack Iran consulate in Karbala

Rioters in Iraq have attacked the Iranian consulate in the Iraq city, Karbala. They climbed concrete barriers in order to bring down the Iranian flag and replace it with an Iraqi flag. The article claims the motives for the protests was aimed at the citizens distaste for the political elite of Iraq that milks the country's wealth away from the actual citizens. The article also goes on to say that, like mostly all things related to conflict in the Middle East, this protest was rooted in religious differences. In particular, the protestors are upset with the Iraqi Shias. A big chunk of the population of protestors came from students skipping class who are upset again at the political elite that govern their country. The political elite have responded by saying the halt in everyday life because of these protests has cost the country billions and that it is time for the schools and oil factories to be reopened. But Feisal Istrabadi, former Iraqi ambassador to the UN and director of the Center for the Study of the Middle East at Indiana University says that this is just the beginning. The people of Iraq do not only want resignations from their politicians, but a complete overhaul of their current governmental system, which has been in place since the U.S. led invasion in 2003...

Michael Pollack

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/iraqi-protesters-attack-iran-consulate-karbala-191103232545555.html