For the second straight day residents of Iraq’s al-Anbar Province continued their protests against Nouri Maliki, announcing this is an unlimited rally that will continue until all of their legitimate demands are met.
Al-Babeliya TV reported thousands of members of the National Dialogue Front staged a demonstration in this province demanding the release of innocent prisoners held in Maliki’s detention centers.
A similar demonstration was held in the city of Ramadi, also in al-Anbar Province, with the participation of representatives of political groups, dignitaries and tribal sheikhs. The demonstrators headed towards the province’s international highway linking Jordan to Baghdad, chanting slogans demanding the release of innocent prisoners and those involved in insulting and harassing female prisoners brought to justice.
Iraqi MP Ahmad al-Alwani from the Iraqiya Coalition took part in the demonstration.
“This gathering today is an act of civil disobedience. This is our right based on the law and the constitution. The people of al-Anbar have demands and it is not just the subject of protesting the issue of Rafe al-Essawi and his security team. Our protest is focusing on the violated rights of the Iraqi people. There are female prisoners. If all female prisoners are not released and the demands of the people of al-Anbar are not responded to, this protest will continue until further notice and civil disobedience will also continue until all of al-Anbar’s demands are met. Here the members of the provincial council, city council, tribal sheikhs and all of the people of the province will have a permanent office,” he said in his speech.