Protesters pull out of Baghdad's Green Zone but vow to be back

Hundreds, if not thousands, of followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr broke into Parliament on Saturday, waving Iraqi flags, ransacking rooms and sitting at lawmakers' desk while gesturing at cameras that captured the scene.

"The cowards ran away," they chanted, referring to Parliament members who had gathered there earlier. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had been scheduled to announce a new Cabinet on Saturday but didn't because of lack of a quorum.

Sunday, Abadi urged authorities to find and prosecute anyone who attacked security forces, members of Parliament and citizens or who destroyed public property, state-run Al-Iraqiya TV reported.

The crowd was inflamed Saturday by a rousing speech by Sadr who denounced Iraq's leaders as corrupt and called for a "major popular revolution."

The cleric said he stood with the people, boycotting all politicians except "those who seek reform with full transparency."

"I stand waiting for the major popular uprising and the major popular revolution to stop corruptors," he said.

Sadr vehemently opposed the United States occupation of Iraq and in the mid-2000s urged his Mehdi Army militia to attack American troops. His fighters were responsible for some of the deadliest days of the war. But Shiite leaders turned against him and in 2007 he fled to Iran. He returned to Iraq in 2011 and wields significant influence in the country.

Sunday, Sadr's office issued a statement calling for protesters to retreat out of respect for 8th-century imam Moussa al-Kadhim. Over the coming days, thousands of Shiite pilgrims are expected to travel on foot to a shrine commemorating the anniversary of his death.

The statement said the protest would resume Friday, when protesters will demand the dismissal of the President, Prime Minister and speaker. If that fails, they'll call for early elections, and failing that, will conduct "a civil disobedience or general strike," the statement said.

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