IRAQ: THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS OF REBEL SHI'ITE CLERIC MOQTADA AL-SADR MARCH AND DEMAND WITHDRAWAL OF U.S. TROOPS ON ANNIVERSARY OF OVERTHROW OF SADDAM HUSSEIN

Record ID: 649215

  • Title: IRAQ: THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS OF REBEL SHI'ITE CLERIC MOQTADA AL-SADR MARCH AND DEMAND WITHDRAWAL OF U.S. TROOPS ON ANNIVERSARY OF OVERTHROW OF SADDAM HUSSEIN
  • Date: 10th April 2005
  • Summary: (W2) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (APRIL 9, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. SLV HUGE CROWDS MARCHING THROUGH SADR CITY, SNAKING ON ROAD; CROWDS MARCHING WITH FLAGS; CROWDS WITH POSTERS OF SADR AND IRAQI FLAG SHOUTING 'NO NO TO TERRORISTS'/ YES YES FOR IRAQ (4 SHOTS) 0.34 2. MV MAN HOLDING POSTER SHOWING HALF FACE OF SADDAM HUSSEIN AND HALF OF US PRESIDENT GEORGE W.BUSH ON SAME BODY/ ANOTHER TAKES IT AND TEARS IT UP/ YOUTHS DANCING; MORE OF CROWDS MARCHING THROUGH SADR CITY 0.55 3. HAS PAN HUGE CROWDS GATHERED IN FIRDOS SQUARE, BY SITE WHERE SADDAM STATUE USED TO STAND AND WAS TORN DOWN TWO YEARS AGO WHEN US FORCES ENTERED THE CITY; SLV FLAGS IN FRONT OF NEW STATUE IN FIRDOS SQUARE/ FIGURES OF BUSH, SADDAM AND BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR IN RED JUMP SUITS; SCU FACES OF THE THREE LEADERS MADE TO LOOK LIKE DEVILS (5 SHOTS) 1.33 4. HAS CROWDS WITH POSTERS OF THE LEADERS; POSTERS OF THE LEADERS; CROWDS BURNING FIGURES OF BUSH AND SADDAM NEAR THE SQUARE; CROWDS DANCING 2.00 5. MV CLERICS CARRYING COFFIN REPRESENTING SADR (3 SHOTS) 2.33 6. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ABDUL HADI DARAJI, SADR SPOKESMAN SAYING: "We come to Firdos square to bring down the 'Hadam' ('the destroyer' referring to Saddam). We are calling for him and his followers to be tried. The Iraqi people did not get anything from the occupation. The terrorism we have here is related to the occupiers in Iraq. We will announce our demands today, during the demonstration, and they will be important. All of Iraq's groups will participate following Moqtada Sadr's call for protest." 3.07 7. HAS CROWDS MARCHING TOWARDS FIRDOS SQUARE; FIGURES OF THREE LEADERS; MORE OF CROWDS ARRIVING; CROWDS AT FIRDOS SQUARE (4 SHOTS) 3.36 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 25th April 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVABVW1ZK3502WCR8KQVQ9TOGD7K
  • Story Text: Thousands of supporters of rebel Shi'ite cleric
    Moqtada al-Sadr march in Baghdad, demand the withdrawal of
    US troops and call for speedy trial of Saddam Hussein on
    anniversary of his overthrow.

    Thousands of Iraqi supporters of rebel shi'ite leader Moqtada Sadr
    marched from Sadr City in Baghdad on Saturday (April 9) to denounce the U.S.

    presence in Iraq on the second anniversary of Saddam's overthrow.

    Shouting 'No No to the occupiers' they also called for a speedy trial
    of Saddam Hussein.

    The peaceful march was snaking its way to Firdos Square, in the centre
    of Baghdad where Saddam's statue was torn down two years ago.

    Crowds of Sadr's supporters from across the country were already
    gathered at the square by mid-morning, waving Iraqi
    flags and calling out: "No America! No Saddam! Yes to
    Islam!".

    The Muslim Clerics' Association, an influential Sunni body said Sunni
    Muslims were expected to join the demonstration.

    Many of the posters were accusing the US forces of being no better than
    Saddam.

    One of them showed a US soldier pointing a gun at an Iraqi's head with a
    caption reading 'Today is the same as yesterday'. Another showed a picture of
    Saddam's face on one half and US President George W.Bush on the other.

    Saturday's protest taps into the growing frustration among large
    swathes of the Iraqi population against the U.S. presence
    in the country. Even many Iraqis who would not take up arms against the
    Americans still want troops to leave soon.

    Scandals such as the abuse of Iraqi detainees by U.S. soldiers at Abu
    Ghraib prison and the deaths of Iraqi detainees
    in U.S. custody have exacerbated the situation. More than 10,000 Iraqis are
    being held by U.S. forces, most without trial.

    There is also disbelief that more than two years since the war, Saddam
    and his senior lieutenants have still not been
    tried. Trials are expected to begin later this year, although Saddam is
    unlikely to be one of the first to appear in court.

    The protest comes as efforts are still being made to complete the
    formation of a government nearly 10 weeks since the
    election. Earlier this week a president and two vice presidents were named,
    along with a prime minister.

    "We come to Firdos square to bring down the 'Hadam' ('the
    destroyer' referring to Saddam). We are calling for him and his followers to
    be tried. The Iraqi people did not get anything from the occupation. The
    terrorism we have here is related to the occupiers in Iraq. We will announce
    our demands today, during the demonstration, and they will be important. All
    of Iraq's groups will participate following Moqtada Sadr's call for
    protest," said Sheikh Abdul-Hadi al-Daraji, a spokesman for Sadr.

    Followers of Sadr from the southern Shi'ite cities of Basra, Amara and
    Nassiriya travelled hundreds of miles to join the
    protest, showing the appeal the young cleric can command.

    The demonstration was expected to be the largest since the January 30
    election and the first since the new government began to
    take shape.

    Sadr, a low-ranking cleric in his mid-30s, oversees a militia force
    called the Mehdi Army that is thought to be
    several thousand strong. He led two violent uprisings against U.S. forces
    last year, sparking weeks of fighting.

    Iraqi security forces shut down central Baghdad ahead of the
    demonstration, but were not expecting problems.

    U.S. forces were not in evidence on the streets, but Kadhim
    said they could be called in to support if needed.

    Firdos Square has become a central rallying place for Iraqis since the
    overthrow of Saddam's regime two years ago. U.S.

    forces last year shut down the square, sealing it off with razor wire, to
    prevent people massing on the first anniversary.


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