Earlier on Saturday, protesters broke into a high-security Baghdad district known as the Green Zone where government buildings and foreign embassies are located and started a sit-in in parliament. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi ordered security forces to maintain order. The Iraqi health ministry said that 125 people were injured in the unrest, including 25 security officers.
"The ongoing escalation is deeply concerning. Voices of reason and wisdom are critical to prevent further violence. All actors are encouraged to de-escalate in the interest of all Iraqis," UNAMI said on Twitter.
Supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr are rallying against the candidacy of Mohammed Al Sudani for prime minister, who was nominated by the Coordination Framework alliance, the largest bloc in the Iraqi legislature representing Shiite forces and believed to be backed by Iran.
Protesters already stormed the parliament once this past Wednesday and agreed to leave only after asked to by al-Sadr, whose political bloc won the October legislative elections but diverted into opposition in May and stepped down in June after several failed attempts to form a government.