DETERMINED PRO-MEK DEMONSTRATORS PROTEST OUTSIDE

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000596 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/30/2019 TAGS: PTER PREL PHUM IZ IR CA SUBJECT: DETERMINED PRO-MEK DEMONSTRATORS PROTEST OUTSIDE EMBASSY REF: BAGHDAD 2033 Classified By: PolMinCouns Scott Bellard, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (SBU) Approximately 95 supporters of the Mujahadeen-e-Khalq (Mek) gathered again across the street from the chancery on July 30 to condemn the recent attack on the Ashraf camp in Iraq by Iraqi military and police forces (reftel). The protest began on July 29 at 09:14 with approximately 80 protesters, who remained throughout the day in spite of severe thunder and rainstorms. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has granted a permit for the pro-MeK group to protest from 09:00 until 22:00 seven days per week through the end of September. The protesters held placards condemning the Iraqi government crackdown in the Ashraf camp and waved flags. They also used bullhorns to amplify their chants. The group claims that some of its members are embarking on a hunger strike to protest the Iraqi government's actions. ¶2. (SBU) RCMP contacts informed A/RSO that the group also sought seeking permission to erect a tent to protect hunger strikers from the elements. The protest organizer mentioned to the RCMP liaison officer that she was disappointed at the lack of media interest and meager support from MeK sympathizers in the Montreal and Toronto Diaspora. The organizer also claimed that 85 percent of the protesters have relatives in the Ashraf camp. ¶3. (C) The same group of protesters staged a much noisier demonstration at the Iraq Embassy on July 28. RCMP contacts shared with A/RSO that the demonstrators there subjected those entering and leaving the Iraqi chancery to verbal abuse. Iraqi Ambassador to Canada Howar Ziad called Charge July 30 to compare notes on the demonstrations. Charge explained that the group was across the street at the back side of the U.S. Embassy and had not interfered with access to the Chancery. Charge also told the Ambassador that the Embassy had declined to have an officer meet with the demonstrators and/or accept their petition the previous day, after the RCMP had indicated that accepting a petition would not end the demonstration. Ambassador Ziad informed Charge that a former MP, David Kilgour, had held a press conference for the group at Parliament on July 29 and that he was seeking Baghdad,s guidance on making a public statement. Charge confirmed that the US Embassy has no plans to make a statement. Visit Canada,s North American partnership community at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / BREESE