Regional/Cultural Day
Youm al-Tahrir
The anniversary of the fall of Baghdad in 2003. The day is controversial: for some Iraqis, it is liberation from dictatorship. For others, it is the beginning of occupation, civil war, and instability. The official commemoration is muted, and the public reaction is divided. The statue of Saddam Hussein was pulled down in Firdos Square on this day. The square is still there. The statue is not.
