Thousands of Iraqis protested after Friday prayers in several cities, including
Kufa, Najaf, Basra and Sadr City against the occupation in Iraq.
In Sadr City, hundreds of demonstrators who carried pictures of Shiite cleric
Muqtada al-Sadr chanted, "No to America! No to the devil," and "We are with
you, Moqtada, to liberate Iraq!"
The al-Sadr called on his supporters to declare "their rejection of the
occupation" during the first Friday prayers of Ramadan, saying: "I inform those
in and outside Iraq, that the first Friday of the holy month of Ramadan will be
collected annually for refusing to denounce the occupation and by peaceful
means."
The posters pasted on the walls of the district in the east of the Iraqi
capital called on supporters of Moqtada Sadr to "reject and condemn" the US
occupation.
There was also a vast opposition to the security pact with protesters shouting
"Whoever has signed is not one of us."
Trader Ahmad al-Iraki, 28, said: "We are against this agreement; it is a red
line for us.
"We're waiting (further) orders from Moqtada," he said.
Sadr has always insisted that US troops must leave Iraq immediately.
Basra also saw a massive crowd to reject the Security Agreement with Washington
and calling for the departure of occupation forces from Iraq.
In Kufa (150 km south of Baghdad), protestors also marched after Friday prayers
from the Kufa mosque amid slogans including "No no America" and "No no
arrogance."
The demonstrators, including women, children and elderly carried pictures of
Muqtada al-Sadr and banners, one said "no, no Israel". The demonstrations
lasted more than an hour.
Thousands of Iraqi Shi'ites protested the US presence on the first Friday of
Ramadan.
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