Former Iraqi member of parliament and prominent politician Izzat Al-Shabander slammed protestors and referred to them as “monkeys” after his name was included in a banner raised by demonstrators in Tahrir Square.
The banner included other politicians who were considered potential candidates for the post of prime minister.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned on last month amid pressure from mass anti-government protests.
Izzat Al-Shabandar took to Twitter in response to the banner, saying that he was “neither a candidate” nor will he “honor the leadership of the monkeys who wrote this banner” and referred to them as belonging to “mafias.”
Demonstrations in Iraq erupted early October in protest of corruption, high unemployment, poor public services and foreign interference.