massive anti-occupation demonstrations in Iraq
Oct 18th, 2008 by admin
Al-Sadr’s message was addressed to the crowd as well as Iraqi lawmakers and read by his aide Sheik Abdul-Hadi al-Mohammadawi before a huge crowd of mostly young men waving Iraqi and green Shiite flags and chanting slogans including “no, no to the agreement” and “yes to Iraq.”
The Iraqi government has abandoned its duty before God and its people and referred the agreement to you knowing that ratifying it will stigmatize Iraq and its government for years to come,” he said.
“I am with every Sunni, Shiite or Christian who is opposed to the agreement … and I reject, condemn and renounce the presence of occupying forces and basis on our beloved land,”
“No, No, to America! No, No to the devil!” shouted crowds of men, women and children as they walked the three kilometre (two mile) route. Carrying Iraqi flags and banners of the Sadr movement, the demonstrators demanded an end to the US occupation. “Get out occupier! We demand an end to the occupation!” they shouted.
Karim Kadhim, a demonstrator from the holy city of Najaf, said “we are marching to reject the occupation. “Would America like to be occupied by any other country? Would America like its sons to be attacked? Why are they occupying our country?” he asked. “They have been lying for the past five years. They told us they are coming to free us and go. But they are still lying.”
Sadrist MP Nasser Al-Saadi said that more than one million people took part in the demonstrations
A leading Sadrist cleric at the rally, Hazim al-Arraji, said before its start: “This is the voice of the Iraqi people from all over Iraq: we need the invaders to leave our country, no one wants them to stay. ‘No invasion! Get out invaders!’ That will be our slogan.”
