page_title: Protests against the Iraq War
section_title: After the fall of Baghdad
hierarchical_section_title: Protests against the Iraq War / After the fall of Baghdad
caption_attribution_description: English: A black bloc element of an Iraq War protest in Washington, D.C., March 21, 2009. This group was being followed by a group of police (background). The full text of the banner reads, "Fight the rich, not their wars." Photo by Vic Reinhart.
context_page_description: Beginning in 2002, and continuing after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, large-scale protests against the Iraq War were held in many cities worldwide, often coordinated to occur simultaneously around the world. After the biggest series of demonstrations, on February 15, 2003, New York Times writer Patrick Tyler claimed that they showed that there were two superpowers on the planet: the United States and worldwide public opinion.
  These demonstrations against the war were mainly organized by anti-war organizations, many of whom had been formed in opposition to the invasion of Afghanistan. In some Arab countries demonstrations were organized by the state. Europe saw the biggest mobilization of protesters, including a rally of three million people in Rome, which is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest ever anti-war rally.
  According to the French academic Dominique Reynié, between January 3 and April 12, 2003, 36 million people across the globe took part in almost 3,000 protests against the Iraq war.
context_section_description: Following the period of combat in March–April 2003, both protests and armed combat experienced a temporary decline in intensity. Protests against the war as a whole continued, often on the occasion of anniversaries of the war and visits by members of the Bush administration to foreign cities. Within the United States, general anti-war protests were joined by protests focusing on particular issues or strategies including: opposition to torture and abuse (such as that in the Abu Ghraib prison), calls for withdrawal of members of the coalition from Iraq, counter-recruitment, support for military resisters such as Lt. Ehren Watada, and opposition to military and corporate contractors. The largest protests during this period have been national, multi-issue mobilizations such as those on August 30, 2004, and April 29, 2006. Black bloc elements were present during some of the protests.
caption: A black bloc group marches as part of an Iraq War protest in Washington, D.C., March 21, 2009. The full text of the banner reads, "Fight the rich, not their wars."
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