[SimpleLife]

Tens of thousands mass peacefully in the square where Hussein's statue was toppled two years ago. They also heap scorn on the ex-dictator.

By Edmund Sanders, Times Staff Writer

BAGHDAD — Chanting "Death to America!" and burning effigies of President Bush and Saddam Hussein, tens of thousands of Iraqis flooded central Baghdad on Saturday in what police called the largest anti-American protest since the fall of Baghdad exactly two years ago.

The peaceful demonstration by followers of Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada Sadr underscored the United States' accomplishments and its failures since the end of the war.

Democracy at work:

_"This is the first manifestation of freedom in Iraq," said Lt. Ali Muhsin of the Iraqi national guard, raising his voice to be heard over the din. "We have never witnessed such a thing before. In the old days, people would only have been able to do this if they were hailing Saddam. Now they are protesting for their rights."

Carrying banners that read "Go Out" and "Leave Our Country," marchers hit the streets early Saturday, blocking roads and causing traffic jams around the capital. Most of the protesters came from the Baghdad slum of Sadr City, but busloads arrived from Kut, Amarah, Baqubah and other cities. Some estimates put the number of protesters at 300,000.

[SimpleLife]

Pics

[Zimphire]

I thought I felt something biting my hand earlier.

[Anders]

Originally posted by Zimphire:
I thought I felt something biting my hand earlier.

Yeah those ungrateful Iraqis. Not abiding to the "neocon doctrine" (the one where the liberated people must bring flowers to the greeting of the liberating army)

[dcmacdaddy]

Originally posted by Zimphire:
I thought I felt something biting my hand earlier.

Hmmm, a little sarcastic, are we? What happened to the idea of allowing democracy to flourish in Iraq?

If a group of Iraqi's get together on their own volition to protest the US presence in Iraq you should be GLAD it's happening. This is the finest example of Iraqi citizen's enjoying one of our most cherished pratices: Freedom of Expression.

Or do you think they should not be allowed to gather and express their opinions if said opinions contradict US ideals? So, which is it? Do you support un-fettered democracy in Iraq, regardless of how it evolves, or do you support only US-approved democracy?

[von Wrangell]

The peaceful demonstration by followers of Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada Sadr underscored the United States' accomplishments and its failures since the end of the war.

The best part. You figure out why.

[mitchell_pgh]

I think peaceful protests are good. And even the article said many of the people came out to celebrate the fall of Saddam.

It's no surprise that they want us out. And we want to go, but we aren't going to leave a vacuum when we withdraw so every terrorist organization can show up saying "see what the great satan did to this place"

[Chuckit]

Hey, if half the people in America resent having Bush in charge, I guess you can't really blame the Iraqis.

[budster101]

OT: Sort of.

60 / 100,000 people in the Nation (US) are killed by handguns. This is an average.
80 / 100,000 people in D.C. (District of Columbia) are killed by handguns.

Let's pull out of D.C. you have a better chance of being killed by a gun there than in Iraq.