Iraqi Shiites unite in anti-US protest

RAW STORY
Published: Monday April 9, 2007

Hundreds of thousands of Shiites burned and trampled on US flags on Monday as they gathered in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf for an anti-American rally called by firebrand cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on the fourth anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein.

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Peaceful marches mark fourth Baghdad anniversary

Lauren Frayer, Associated Press

TENS of thousands draped themselves in Iraqi flags and marched peacefully through the streets of two Shi’ite holy cities yesterday to mark the fourth anniversary of Baghdad’s fall. Demonstrators were flanked by two cordons of police as they called for US forces to leave, shouting: "Get out, get out occupier." Security was tight across Iraq, with a 24-hour ban on all vehicles in Baghdad starting from 5am. The government quickly reinstated the day as a holiday, rescinding its weekend order that had decreed that April 9 no longer would be a day off. The Najaf rally was ordered by Muqtada al-Sadr (...) Colonel Steven Boylan, a US military spokesman and aide to the commander of all US forces in Iraq, praised the peaceful nature of the demonstration, saying Iraqis "could not have done this four years ago".

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