Baghdad (CNN) --Zehntausende of demonstrators in Eastern Baghdad marked the eighth anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime with a protest Saturday against the US troop presence there.
The demonstrators, followers of anti-U.S. Shiite spiritual Muqtada al-Sadr, have gathered at the Mustansriya site, where they all US called to withdraw their troops from the Iraq at the end of the year.
Carried out Iraqi flag and banner, with some singing protesters "Baghdad is a free country, America out!" and "not for occupation, no. for America."
"No, no America," read a banner while another said: "Yes, Yes for Quran."
American troops are scheduled to depart from the Iraq at the end of the year under a bilateral agreement between the Iraqi Government and the United States.
But if increased violence and instability persists in the Iraq, it is possible to keep some US troops in the Iraq, which now approximately 47,000 American troops in both countries could agree with. The figure is down from a high of 171,000 in 2003.
This prospect of American troops in the Iraq remain disturbs many citizens, including the thousands, the al-Sadr, a clergyman with grassroots appeal in Iraqi Shiite cities and neighborhoods to support.
Sheikh Salah al-Obaidi, a priest, a statement on demonstrators for al-Sadr, read triggered, the prospect of American troops in the Iraq remain, in the next year and beyond.
"What if the invading forces decide not to leave our country?" What is if they decide to stay? What if American forces choose, and others to stay in our country? .... Keep silent? "" Al-Obaidi said: reading al-Sadr statement chants "is God great."
"If they decide to stay in our country, then we have to do two things: first of all is to escalate armed resistance and lift the freeze on Mehdi Army," al-Obaidi said.
He was referring to the August 2007 suspending the activities of the Mehdi Army, al-Sadr militia.
U.S. military commanders were quoted Iraq, this movement as a major reason for a decline in violence of where al-Sadr forces fought American troops at the height of the war.
Emotions on the street were by the remarks of U.S. Defense Secretary Robert powered, the gates of an unannounced from this week to Iraq and discussed American troop presence with top officials, including Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki visit.
"My message to them was if it is to be a presence or they need help, we are open to this possibility." But they have to questions, and time in Washington is in short supply because we have a lot going on around the world and we have some decisions, "said gates."
"It would of course a presence which here but now is a fraction of the size of which we have really to the Iraqis at this point."
On Friday, street protesters in Baghdad and other provinces also focused on the fall of Hussein and complaints from war, including a rejection of the U.S. troop presence.
This was a change of the theme in recent weeks as protesters in the Iraq about the same bread and questions have together butter, which urged the Arab world of street protests.
People were upset about corruption, unemployment, lack of basic services and restrictions on freedom of expression.
Demonstrators in the Sunni neighborhood of Adhamiya calls for the liberation of prisoners and compensation "for victims of the occupation."
"Some of the protesters shouted 'No to the occupation, no to foreign troops,'," witnesses said.
"Nearly 300 protesters with banners and Iraqi flags, we cried, not living in an occupied country more." accept in Baghdad's Tahrir square
The banner read, "no to the American and Iranian occupation!" Contains a reference to the Iranian influence with the Shiite masses and the Iraqi Government.
Women carried pictures of their sons and killed husbands who are missing or have been during the war.
"During this war, so many women lost sons and many others was widows, women not only Iraq, but also American women." "We are those, which paid the price of this war," said Shima Kareem, who belonged to the protesters.
Hundreds turned out in Fallujah, criticized province in the West and in Samarra, in the predominantly Sunni Anbar, to demand in the North, the release of prisoners, compensation for families of victims and the withdrawal of American troops in Salaheddin.
Since 2003, military numbers according to their calculations 4,421 US troops in the Iraq of CNN died.
A US led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 resulted in the removal of Saddam Hussein's regime on April 9. Statue in Baghdad's Firdous square symbolizes the regime are the iconic fall of the former ruler.
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