Despite the Iraqi parliament voting to expel American military forces, they have not been removed. This has prompted many thousands of people to protest in Baghdad demanding their immediate removal.

AFP:

Thousands of supporters of Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr amassed in Baghdad on Friday demanding the ouster of US troops, prompting rival protests seeking to keep the spotlight on months-long calls for reform.

Sadr’s march rattled the separate protest movement that has gripped the capital and Shiite-majority south since October, urging a government overhaul, early elections and more accountability.

Thousands of men, women and children massed under grey skies in east Baghdad’s Jadiriyah district, chanting “Get out, get out, occupier!”

Some waved signs in Arabic and English reading “Death to America” and one protester carried a cardboard cut-out of US President Donald Trump on the gallows.

Sadr himself did not attend, but a representative read a statement in his name.

It demanded all foreign forces leave Iraq, Iraqi-American security agreements be cancelled, Iraqi airspace be closed to US military aircraft and for Trump not to be “arrogant” when addressing Iraqi officials.

“If all this is implemented, we will deal with it as a non-occupying country — otherwise it will be considered a country hostile to Iraq,” the statement said.

What these protesters don’t understand is that the only way for them to have true freedom and democracy is for the American military to permanently occupy their country. They can’t be truly free unless the American military is in their country bombing pro-Iranian groups and assassinating Iranian generals.

These protesters are obviously insane and they should all be sent to reeducation camps so they can learn to love the type of democracy that the United States government is providing them.