2012–2013 Iraqi protests

2012–13 Iraqi protests
Part of the Iraqi insurgency (2011–13)
Date	21 December 2012 (2012-12-21)– December 2013 (~1 year)
Location	Iraq
Caused by	Corruption Unemployment Poor national security Poor public services Alleged marginalization of a Sunni minority; who previously held ultimate power Unfair treatment of prisoners Poor salaries of Sahwa militia Alleged abuse of De-Ba'athification laws Alleged Iranian interference in Iraqi affairs
Methods	Demonstrations Strike actions
Resulted in	Two-third wage increase for Sahwa militia members Release of 3,000 prisoners, including 600 female prisoners Crackdown by Security Forces results in renewed violence in Anbar
Parties to the civil conflict
Sunni opposition groups Sunni protesters Army of Pride and Dignity Free Iraq Intifada Popular Movement in Iraq Sunni Islamists Iraqi government State of Law Coalition Iraqi Armed Forces Iraqi police
Lead figures
Decentralized leadership Rafi al-Issawi Former Finance Minister Sheikh Ahmed Abu Risha Leader of Anbar Salvation Council Usama al-Nujayfi Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Sheikh Ali Hatem al-Suleiman Sunni Tribal Leader Ahmed al-Alwani Ramadi MP Sheik Abdul Malik Al-Saadi Sunni Cleric Nouri al-Maliki Prime Minister of Iraq Jalal Talabani President of Iraq
Casualties
Death(s)	200+

Sunni opposition groups

Iraqi government

Decentralized leadership

The 2012–13 Iraqi protests started on 21 December 2012 following a raid on the home of Sunni Finance Minister Rafi al-Issawi and the arrest of 10 of his bodyguards. Beginning in Fallujah, the protests afterwards spread throughout Sunni Arab parts of Iraq, and even gained support from non-Sunni Iraqi politicians such as Muqtada al-Sadr. The protests centered on the issue of the alleged sectarianism of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Pro-Maliki protests also took place throughout central and southern Iraq, where there is a Shia Arab majority. In April 2013, sectarian violence escalated after the 2013 Hawija clashes. The aggresive protests continued throughout 2013, and in December Maliki used security forces to forcefully close down the main protest camp, in Ramadi. Sunnis took up arms in response, and joined forces with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) to conduct a military campaign against the Iraqi government.

Iraqi Sunni minority traditionally held power in Iraq, but the Sunni-dominated Ba'ath party was overthrown by the United States Armed Forces during the 2003 invasion, and Shia majority gained power. The majority of Iraqis are Shiites.

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