Asia

[Visited: December 2021]

When we drove through the tunnel near Tahrir Square on our way to city sights further north, I saw that both sides of the tunnel were filled with colourful graffiti. We were driving too fast to really see them properly, but I did notice they were both intense and something extraordinary. Then and there, I decided I wanted to walk the underpass to give them the attention they deserved, to have the time to see them properly, and take pictures. Later that day, we get off the car just where the road dives into the Al-Saadoun underpass, and cross to the refuge in the middle of the road. This allows us to see the murals on both side of the tunnel. I am happy there is not too much traffic, so between passing cars, we have plenty of opportunity to study the works of art we see.
During the uprising in October 2019, against the leadership of the country, the corruption, and the way Iraq was organised, people from different walks of life came together to show they wanted change. Nothing could stop them. The government ushered in the security forces, and hundreds lost their lives in the peaceful protests. After years of wars, people felt they had nothing more to lose, so the protests continued. As is so often the case, it were mostly youngsters to join this revolution. My guide tells me how he lost several friends during those days. The murals we see here were made when the revolution was still going on. Fortunately, the artists thought of a potential international audience, and quite a few of the murals have English slogans.
I see graffiti with women, depicted like true Marianna's (the symbolic woman of the French Revolution) fighting for a better Iraq. There are slogans like "You can't arrest an idea", "We are the future", "We deserve life", and "We are the victim of an exaggerated religion". There are murals that grip you by the throat, that suffocate you, that draw tears from your eyes. Brutal violence of security forces against unarmed protesters - knowing that in fact, hundreds of protesters were killed in cold blood. These murals depict reality. They demand change. They show that no matter how many bullets the security forces fire, they will not be able to defeat the crowd and their legitimate demands. One of the most pervasive murals is the one where hundreds of dead protesters are represented by their initials, in what looks like a beautiful Arabic calligraphic work of art. Is the fact that these murals survived several years since the protests a positive sign? Let us hope so.

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Tahrir Square Tunnel Murals > Iraq > Asia

[Visited: December 2021]

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