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| Flag of Iraq (Image: Wiki Commons) |
BAGHDAD, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of Iraqi people rallied in downtown Baghdad on Friday, in response to the call by the populist Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to protest against corruption and sectarianism in Iraq.
Demonstrators gathered in Tahrir Square in central Baghdad, waving thousands of Iraqi flags and chanting "No, no to corruption. No, no to sectarianism. Yes, yes to reform. Yes, yes to Iraq."
Moqtada al-Sadr appeared in the rally and shared the demonstrators their chants, before one of his aides read his speech.
Sadr demanded to sack all corrupt people in the government institutions, including high-ranking officials, warning that if the government failed to meet this demand, demonstrators will go further and demand resignation from President of Iraq, Prime Minister and Parliament Speaker, the three top leaders in the country.
The government "must bring the corrupted people to fair trial as soon as possible; otherwise, the people would prosecute them," he said.
Read the full story at Xinhua