Shiite Sadrist Trend demonstrate in Baghdad against foreign existence in Iraq.

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Tens of thousands of followers of the Shiite Sadrist Trend went to the streets of Baghdad on Saturday, in a peaceful demonstration, condemning the U.S. presence in Iraq , on occasion of the 8 th anniversary of the U.S. invasion, along with a similar demonstration in central Baghdad .   IraqiNews.com’s correspondent noticed that the demonstrators, carrying Iraqi flags and pictures of the Shiite Sadrist Leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, began their demonstration from east Baghdad ’s al-Sadr city, towards al-Mustansirya Square, raising slogans condemning the U.S. forces presence and calling for an end to their existence in the country.   A number of demonstrators told the correspondent that they had come from Iraq ’s central and southern provinces, to share in the demonstrations, called by Cleric Sadr, along with his followers in Baghdad .   “The demonstration is expected to continue till Saturday afternoon, whilst large numbers of demonstrators were heading towards the area of the demonstration,” he said, quoting an Al-Sadr’s media spokesman as saying that “there exists clear cooperation and coordination between the organizers of the demonstration and the security bodies in Baghdad .”   “The slogans of the demonstration are concentrating on the demands for the departure of the U.S. occupation forces from Iraq and a call on the Iraqi government to put an end for the foreign presence of those forces and the non-renewal of their existence in Iraq,” the source, who asked not to be named, told IraqiNews.com news agency.   Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, including large numbers of the Sadrist group, are demonstrating on Saturday on the occasion of the anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, taking place on April 9 th of each year, all demanding the departure of the American troops from Iraq.   Meanwhile, a security source told IraqiNews.com news agency that “a number of similar demonstrations are expected to go to the streets of Baghdad , to gather in central Baghdad ’s al-Tahrir (Square) on the same occasion.   Noteworthy is that the U.S. Combat troops had withdrawn from Iraq at the end of August last, according to the Security Agreement, signed between Baghdad and Washington at the end of 2008, whilst the remaining U.S. forces, estimated to reach 50,000, would withdraw from the country by the end of the current year.   SKH (FT)     498