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Baghdad: Thousands of supporters of prominent Shiite cleric Muqtada Al Sadr gathered on a central Baghdad square Friday for a mass prayer to protest a proposed US-Iraqi security pact.
Security remained tight, with Firdous Square sealed off to unofficial traffic and heavily guarded by Iraqi security forces.
Iraq's parliament has pushed forward with debate on the deal that would see US military presenc in Iraq for another three years and a vote is expected on Monday.
Howevery, the noisy opposition by the Sadrists suggests that even if approved, the deal could remain divisive in a country struggling for reconciliation.
Despite attempts by Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki, a Shiite, to defend the security pact opponents view the security deal as a surrender to US interests.
The Iraqi Cabinet has approved the agreement, meaning it stands a good chance of passage in the 275-seat parliament where the government's parties dominate.
A narrow vote for approval will cast doubt on the legitimacy of the new terms governing the US troop presence.
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