- Title: IRAQ: IRAQIS PROTEST FOR A RESTORATION OF LAW AND ORDER
- Date: 10th December 2003
- Summary: (W4) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (DECEMBER 10, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SV DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING THROUGH BAGHDAD STREET, SHOUTING: "YES TO IRAQ." 0.09 2. CU DEMONSTRATORS CARRYING A PLACARD READING: "IRAQIS SHOULD NOT FORGET PALESTINE." 0.16 3. TV DEMONSTRATORS CARRYING BANNERS/ POLICE CARS IN FRONT OF THE DEMONSTRATION 0.22 4. SV DEMONSTRATORS SHOUTING: "YES TO UNITY."/ TWO ARMED IRAQI POLICEMEN AND SENIOR UNDERSECRETARY OF INTERIOR MINISTRY LT. GEN. AHMED KAZIM IBRAHIM IN THE FRONT LINE OF THE DEMONSTRATION 0.32 5. LV U.S. HELICOPTER HOVERING OVERHEAD 0.38 6. CU U.S. SOLDIERS WITH A SNIFFER DOG CHECKING OUT A SQUARE NEAR THE AREA OF THE DEMONSTRATION 0.45 7. SLV U.S. SOLDIERS WITH A SNIFFER DOG CHECKING OUT THE AREA AS DEMONSTRATORS SHOUT: "YES TO IRAQ." (2 SHOTS) 1.01 8. MCU (Arabic), TAWFEEQ Al-YASSIRI, LEADER OF IRAQI PARTY, SAYING: "The demonstration is a real referendum by all of the Iraqi spectrum, in all its communities, nationalities, who came today to say no to terrorism, yes to peace, yes to security, yes to democracy, yes to freedom, yes to building." 1.21 9. SLV DEMONSTRATORS CARRYING BANNERS READING: "NO TO DICTATORSHIP, NO TO TERRORISM. OUR PEOPLE ARE WITH THE REBUILDING OF IRAQ." 1.35 10. LV DEMONSTRATORS CARRYING MUHAMMED BAQER AL-HAKIM PICTURES AND BANNERS 1.43 11. SLV U.S. HELICOPTER FLYING OVERHEAD 1.48 12. TV OF DEMONSTRATION 1.57 (W4) RAMADI, 70 KM WEST OF BAGHDAD, IRAQ (DECEMBER 10, 2003) (REUTERS) 13. SV DEMONSTRATORS ON THE STREETS OF RAMADI, CHANTING "YES TO DEMOCRACY. NO TO TERRORISM." 2.05 14. LV U.S. FORCES CROUCHING BEHIND THEIR RIFLES ON A BALCONY OF A BUILDING 2.10 15. SV OF DEMONSTRATORS 2.13 (W4) BAQOUBA, 70 KM NORTH OF BAGHDAD, IRAQ (DECEMBER 10, 2003)(REUTERS) 16. LV/SLV OF DEMONSTRATORS CARRYING BANNERS AGAINST TERRORISM (2 SHOTS) 2.38 17. SLV/SV DEMONSTRATORS CHANTING: "NO TO SECTARIANISM. NO TO TERRORISM." (3 SHOTS) 2.57 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 25th December 2003 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BAGHDAD, RAMADI AND BAQOUBA, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVADWQWZITTDQA2QLFWHHVJIC6WM
- Story Text: Iraqis protest for a restoration of law and
order.
Thousands of Iraqis, representing almost all the
political parties in Iraq, took to the streets in sweeping
rallies across the country on Wednesday (December 10) to
demonstrate against terrorism, calling for prevail of
security and order of law.
Carrying banners denouncing violence, the demonstrators
shouted slogans against terrorism that hit cities
throughout the countries following the fall of president
Saddam Hussein, killing a large number of Iraqi people.
"Yes to Iraq, no to terrorism," chanted protesters who
gathered at Firdous square in central Baghdad.
"The demonstration is a real referendum by all the
Iraqi spectrum, in all its communities, nationalities, who
came today to say no to terrorism, yes to peace, yes to
security, yes to democracy, yes to freedom, yes to
building," said Iraqi former opposition figure Tawfeeq
al-Yassiri.
Senior Under-secretary of the Interior Ministry Lt.
Gen. Ahmed Kazim participated in the rally, which was also
attended by representative of Iraq's Communist Party, other
political party and followers of the Shi'ite firebrand
cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
Sadr is a harsh critic of both the U.S.-civilian
administration and the Governing Council.
There was a heavy Iraqi police presence as the
protesters marched through the city centre, with American
military helicopter hovering overhead.
Iraqi police and US troops kept a close watch at the
rally, sealing off the area and blocking roads leading to
the site where the demonstrators gathered as U.S. troops
with sniffer dogs checked out nearby square for explosive
devices.
Meanwhile, People of the restive western town of Ramadi
also staged an anti-terrorism rally.
Ramadi is an arc of resistance that also extends north
of Baghdad. The area is dominated by Sunni Muslims, the
majority community from which ousted leader drew most of
his support.
The protesters rallied through the streets of the tense
city of Ramadi, 80 km west of Baghdad under close watch by
the U.S. forces who took a firing position on the balconies
of nearby buildings.
Demonstrators in the northern town of Baqouba also
marched through the centre of the town, which has been a
frequent scene of attacks, to denounce terrorism.
Carrying banners against terrorism, the demonstrators
chanted slogans against sectarianism, ousted president
Saddam and the Ba'athists.
"We sacrifice our soul and blood for you Hakim,"
chanted demonstrators in support of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim,
current head
of the Iraq's Governing Council.
The demonstrators carried pictures of the highest
Shi'ite authority Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and
Shit'ite cleric, Ayatollah Muhammed Baqer al-Hakim who was
killed in a suicide car bomb attack in the holy southern
city of Najaf last August.
U.S. troops and military vehicles were driving near the
site of the demonstration.
Attacks by guerrilla fighters have plagued Baghdad and
other parts of Iraq since the U.S invasion of Iraq on April
10.
Security was main problem in post-Saddam Iraq, which
most of the Iraqi people and members of the U.S.-appointed
Governing Council blamed on failure by the U.S.-led
administration.
Washington blamed Saddam diehards and remnants of the
former Ba'ath Party for the attacks, which were mainly
concentrated on the Sunnis-dominated areas to the north and
west of the capital Baghdad.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
