IRAQ: THOUSANDS OF SHI'ITES DEMANDING RELEASE OF A BAGHDAD CLERIC CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE
Record ID:
648892
IRAQ: THOUSANDS OF SHI'ITES DEMANDING RELEASE OF A BAGHDAD CLERIC CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE
- Title: IRAQ: THOUSANDS OF SHI'ITES DEMANDING RELEASE OF A BAGHDAD CLERIC CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE
- Date: 9th October 2003
- Summary: (W3) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (OCTOBER 8, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV DEMONSTRATORS GATHERING BEHIND THE ALI AL-BAYAA MOSQUE; HUNDREDS OF DEMONSTRATORS IN FRONT OF MOSQUE WITH GREEN FLAGS, CHANTING; PROTESTERS WITH FLAGS DOING SLOW JOG PAST MOSQUE (13 SHOTS) 1.18 2. SLV PROTESTERS GATHERING TO HEAR SPEECH 1.25 3. SLV GROUP OF U.S. SOLDIERS WALKING PAST DEMONSTRATION 1.37 4. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SHEIKH HASSAN AL ZERQANE ADDRESSING DEMONSTRATORS, SAYING "Look, the American soldiers are coming."; DEMONSTRATORS SHOUTING. U.S. SOLDIERS STANDING 1.52 5. MV SHEIKH HASSAN AL ZERQANE WALKING TOWARDS AMERICAN SOLDIERS AND TALKING TO THEM 2.07 6. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SHEIKH HASSAN AL ZERQANE WALKING WITH THE DEMONSTRATORS AS THEY MOVE OFF TO PAUL BREMER'S SAYING "We don't want to be America's enemy but all along the line the U.S. is always making enemies with us and making threats to us." 2.22 7. MV BANNER WITH ARABIC SCRIPT READING 'WE WANT, WE WANT WE WANT, AMERICANS TO RELEASE SHEIKH MOAYED IMMEDIATELY.'; SLV TWO U.S. SOLDIERS IN HUMVEES WITH WEAPONS; SLV HUMVEES LEAVING AREA 2.42 8. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) IHSSAN AL ARAJI, IMAM OF AL KHADEM MOSQUE IN BAGHDAD, SAYING "After we held talks with the Americans we asked them to release the Sheikh and those arrested but they didn't do anything. They also arrested people yesterday. So now we have the right to walk on a peaceful demonstration to Bremer's office" 3.04 9. SLV/HAS LINE OF DEMONSTRATORS MARCHING AND CHANTING (3 SHOTS) 3.28 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 24th October 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVA1UZX21452CY5AJMKVO8EPWEAA
- Story Text: Thousands of Shi'ites demanding the release of a
Baghdad cleric continue to demonstrate in front of
Ali al-Bayaa mosque.
Thousands of demonstrators protested for the second
day running in front of Ali al-Bayaa mosque in Baghdad on
Wednesday (October 8) calling for the release of Shi'ite
cleric Sheikh Muayad Khazraji and Abdel Jalil al-Shimli,
arrested by US forces two days ago.
Some 2,000 demonstrators had sat across the main road
near the mosque on Tuesday (October 7). They moved late in
the evening after U.S. soldiers agreed to release more than
20 protesters they had arrested during the day and
following a demand from the religious Shi'ite authority in
Najaf to clear the road.
But the protesters said they would continue to
demonstrate until Khasraji and Shimli are released.
Sheikh Hassan Al Zerqane spoke to U.S. troops after
they approached the demonstrators.
"We don't want to be America's enemy but all along the
line the U.S. is always making enemies with us and making
threats to us," he told them before the protest moved off
towards Coalition Provisional Authority chief, Paul
Bremer's, office.
At least one Iraqi was injured during Tuesday's
protests after he was hit by a U.S. vehicle.
U.S. soldiers in riot gear surrounded the protesters on
Tuesday evening and told them to leave the area. Before the
crowds moved off the road, troops had fired in the air and
swooped low over the area in helicopters in an effort to
make the Shi'ites leave.
Local leaders said the U.S. military told them that
Khazraji and al-Shimli, who also worked in the mosque, were
accused of storing arms and calling on Iraqis to oppose the
U.S.-led occupation.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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