Simplify the following text for a Grade 9 native English-speaking person.
Original: By mid-September 1918 , over 623 disturbances had occurred in 38 cities , 153 towns and 177 villages , with over 2 million participants .
Simplified: By mid-September 1918 , over 623 protests and or riots had happened in 38 cities , 153 towns and 177 villages , with over 2 million people taking part in them .