BAGHDAD, April 9 (UPI) -- Thousands of anti-United States Iraqi Shiites and Sunnis staged a protest Saturday, the second anniversary of the fall of Baghdad.
The protesters -- most of them supporters of Shiite maverick leader Muqtada al-Sadr -- gathered at al-Fardous Square, chanting anti-American slogans and demanding the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.
The demonstrators chanted various slogans, including "No to America, no to arrogance, yes to Islam."
Similar demonstrations were held in other parts of the nation, including the predominantly Sunni city of al-Anbar, where nearly daily armed clashes occur between insurgents and U.S.-led forces.
Unprecedented security was in place around Baghdad since sporadic anti-occupation protests began late Friday, organized by Moqtada al-Sadr and the Sunni Association of Islamic Scholars.
The massive demonstrations were also fueled by an announcement that unidentified assailants had killed Sheikh Khattab al-Shouki, one of al-Sadr's aides.
