Followers of Shiite cleric begin sit-in protest near Baghdad's Green Zone

Thousands of followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr began their anti-corruption sit-in protests under heavy security measures outside the heavily fortified Green Zone in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, demanding substantial reforms to confront the country's economic crisis.

Many of the protesters raised the Iraqi flags and chanted slogans calling for comprehensive reforms, including government reshuffle, better services and an end to corruption.

Earlier in the day, several truck loaded with tents and other supplies arrived to the scene while hundreds of protesters started setting up tents near the entrances of the Green Zone, which houses the main government offices and foreign embassies.

The protests were held under security measures, as thousands of security forces and police riot deployed in central Baghdad while many military patrols were moving around the government district.

Riot police allowed the protesters to pull aside barbed wires put earlier by the security forces to block the nearby bridge and main roads leading to the Green Zone after talks with the leaders of the demonstrators, while hundreds of protesters around noon held their weekly Friday prayer at a Green Zone gate that leads to the parliament building.

Meanwhile, Kadhim al-Essawi, an aide of Sadr, read a statement among hundreds of protesters saying "Today the rally came under a new title of sit-ins; the demonstrations had ended, and they (protesters) would not leave their places only after the implementation of comprehensive reform."

On Wednesday, the government said it can't permit anti-corruption sit-in protest by Sadr supporters in Baghdad because it is "against law" and due to security concerns that could endanger the protesters as the security forces are combating the extremist Islamic State (IS) militants in north and west of the country.

Last Friday, Sadr urged his followers during an anti-corruption rally to set up tents for sit-in protest starting from next Friday (March 18) in front of the entrances of the Green Zone.

Sadr's move came to step up pressure on Abadi to deliver long-awaited anti-corruption and economic reforms, as well as substantial reshuffle of Abadi's cabinet which aimed at confronting the country's economic crisis due to the sharp decrease in oil prices in global markets at the time that the security forces are in full-combat with IS terrorist group in northern and western Iraq.

During the past four weeks, thousands of Sadr's followers gathered in downtown Baghdad, demanding reforms, including government reshuffle, better services and an end to corruption in response to an earlier call by Sadr whose al-Ahrar parliamentary bloc holds 34 seats in the 328-seat parliament and three cabinet posts.

Last year, Abadi's reform plan, first gained popular support, but with the passing of time the reforms fell short to convince demonstrators who continued their protests and demanded that Abadi be more aggressive against the political parties that benefited from corruption and could reverse the reforms to their own good. Endit