Sadr City residents demonstrate and pray
Local residents in the Sadr City district of Baghdad gathered for a peaceful prayer demonstration May 16.
An estimated 5,000 to 10,000 people, some carrying Iraqi flags, joined together for a peaceful prayer meeting coordinated by the tribal leaders of Sadr City.
One large group of people marched to the office of the Martyr Sadr Mosque for prayer service. The timing of the gathering corresponded with mosque services and the crowd dispersed at the end of prayer service.
A second large group met peacefully near al-Habibiyah by al-Hamza Square and was organized by tribal leaders of Sadr City. Eyewitnesses also report this as a peaceful demonstration with the participants carrying Iraqi flags.
The prayer meetings were organized to express a unified desire for the Government of Iraq to restore peace and security to the district. It marked the first large gathering of local residents since March 23, when the security situation in Sadr City deteriorated, due to the criminal activities.
The meetings lasted approximately an hour and ended without incident.
MNF-I
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