Protests by Hundreds of Shiite Militias in Baghdad Against the Execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr

About two thousand members and supporters of Iraqi Shiite militia groups protested in Baghdad on Wednesday, January 6, against the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a Shiite cleric from Saudi Arabia. The demonstration took place in central Baghdad while government officials were preparing for military parades for Army Day. According to AFP, the militants participating in the protest wore matching uniforms and carried placards bearing images of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. Members of most groups within the coalition known as 'Hashd al-Shaabi' (Popular Mobilization) were present at the protest, including 'Hezbollah Brigades', 'Badr Organization', and 'Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq'. 'Hashd al-Shaabi' is a coalition of Iraqi Shiite militia groups and volunteer forces formed after the Islamic State captured large areas of northern Iraq. On Tuesday, protests were held in various regions of Iraq with thousands of followers of Muqtada al-Sadr against the execution of Nimr al-Nimr. Muqtada al-Sadr had called for protests in Iraq and the Gulf Arab countries. Protesters on Tuesday chanted slogans calling for the severing of Iraq's relations with Saudi Arabia, while the Saudi embassy in Baghdad had reopened last week after about 25 years. The execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr has sparked widespread anger among Shiites in the region. Some Western countries, including the United States, condemned the mass executions in Saudi Arabia and warned of the destabilizing consequences of Sheikh Nimr's execution. Tensions began hours after the executions were carried out, with protesters attacking Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad. In response, Riyadh severed its diplomatic and economic ties with Iran. In the past three days, Bahrain, Sudan, and Djibouti have also cut their diplomatic relations with Iran, the United Arab Emirates has downgraded its diplomatic relations with Iran, and Kuwait and Qatar recalled their ambassadors from Tehran. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi sent his Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari to Tehran on Wednesday in an effort to ease tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Baghdad, engaged in a war with the Islamic State, fears that tensions between Tehran and Riyadh could exacerbate sectarian divisions in Iraq. Ibrahim al-Jaafari announced at a press conference in Tehran that Iraq is ready to mediate between Iran and Saudi Arabia. He described the conflict between the two countries as having 'wide-ranging consequences' and stated, 'We have close relations with the Islamic Republic and also with our Arab brothers, so Iraq cannot remain a passive observer in the face of this crisis.'