Iraqis pile mockery on US after Capitol siege

Iraqis have heaped satire on their former occupier after the storming of the US Congress, posting parodies online of American diplomatic statements and comparing the incident with fractious episodes in Iraqi politics.

"The Iraqi government urges the American people to show restraint and avoid violence," one posted on social media. 

"Arab States... urge America to respect freedom of expression," another wrote, saying envoys would be sent to help mediate "peaceful solutions".

One urged the US National Guard to "respect the human rights of protesters".

Many Facebook users re-worked slogans from their own months-long anti-government protest movement, posting under the adapted hashtag "America revolts".

The protests broke out in October 2019 against government corruption and ineptitude, with demonstrators occupying Baghdad's Tahrir Square for a year before being cleared out in an army-led operation in October last year.

One Iraqi blamed events in Washington on "a plot by the Mexican embassy", while another wrote: "The attackers coordinated with the Argentinian embassy to sow chaos!".

Some recalled a 2016 sit-in by firebrand Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr, who set up a tent at the doors of parliament in Baghdad's highly secured Green Zone.

"All that's missing from this American blockbuster is a cleric, a tent and a carpet," one person tweeted.

Another obliged with a mockup of a picture of Sadr in his tent, his face replaced with that of Trump.

Another posted a picture of a protester sitting at the desk of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and recalled "Abu Samra", a man famously pictured sitting in the speaker's seat when Iraq's parliament was overrun by demonstrators.

"Abu Samra Al-Texasi," ran the caption: Abu Samra from Texas

Agencies contributed to this report.

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