Iraqis in several provinces dominated by the country's Sunni Muslim minority halted work and boycotted schools and universities on April 22 to protest what they see as discrimination by the Shi'ite-led government.
Organizers said the protests in the provinces of Salahuddin in central Iraq, Anbar in the west, and Nineveh in the northwest were a warning to the government, which they said had failed to meet protesters' demands.
Sunnis have complained of marginalization since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
They have staged protests against the Shi'ite-led government since December.
The government has made some concessions, but protesters say that this is not enough.
The government postponed provincial elections in Anbar and Nineveh on April 20, citing security concerns.
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
U.S., Canadian Warplanes Intercept Russian, Chinese Military Aircraft Near Alaska
2Crowdsourcing Russia's Future: Poll Of Experts Considers What Comes After Putin
3Russia Attacks Ukrainian Danube Port For Second Day As NATO Scrambles Warplanes Over Romania
4Turkey Detains Russian Man Suspected Of Car Bombing In Moscow
5Ukrainian Forces Fight Intense Battles In Donetsk Region, Zelenskiy Says
6Live Briefing: Russia Invades Ukraine
7Pentagon Finds Another $2 Billion Of Accounting Errors For Ukraine Aid
8'Don't Even Whisper In Your Language': Russian Course For Central Asians Lays Down Strict Rules
9Under Relentless Russian Attacks, Ukrainian Power Plant Workers Race To Get The Lights Back On
10Bulgarian President Admits Blocking Pro-Western Envoy To Kyiv
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.