Thousands of Iraqis rallied in Baghdad on Friday in response to a call by popular cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to protest against corruption and sectarianism.
The demonstrators gathered in Baghdad's Tahrir Square, waving Iraqi flags and chanting: "No, no to corruption. No, no to sectarianism. Yes, yes to reform. Yes, yes to Iraq," Xinhua news agency reported.
Moqtada al-Sadr participated in the protest and chanted slogans along with the other protestors, before one of his aides read his speech.
Sadr demanded that all corrupt people in government institutions, including high-ranking officials, be sacked.
He also warned that if the government failed to meet this demand, the protestors would go further and demand resignation from the President of Iraq, the Prime Minister and the Parliament Speaker -- the three top leaders in the country.
--IANS
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