Baghdad, Iraq ? Tens of thousands of Shiite Muslims loyal to militant cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Saturday surged into the Baghdad square where the statue of Saddam Hussein was toppled two years ago, demanding a timetable for the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Iraq, release of their leaders jailed by American forces and a speedy trial for Saddam.

The protest, on the second anniversary of Saddam’s fall, was one of the largest in Baghdad since the U.S. invasion. It drew al-Sadr’s adherents from the sprawling Baghdad slum of Sadr City as well as from cities in southern Iraq. As much a show of strength as a declaration of grievances, the demonstration made clear that al-Sadr’s followers remain a force even though they have largely boycotted the U.S.-backed political process. Al-Sadr’s militia twice fought American forces last year, but it has loosely abided by an informal truce that ended the fighting in August.

Iraqis rally Saturday in Baghdad, Iraq. Tens of thousands of supporters of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who led uprisings last year against U.S. troops, called for American forces to withdraw from Iraq. The demonstration overflowed Firdos Square, where protesters pulled down a towering statue of Saddam Hussein two years ago to the day.

The son of one of Iraq’s most revered clerics, al-Sadr has cultivated a fervent following among young, poor Shiites. Unlike Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, who has the broadest support among the country’s Shiite majority, al-Sadr has pronounced a stridently anti-occupation line and has reached out to Sunni Muslims who oppose the American presence.

Beginning last week, al-Sadr’s lieutenants called for the demonstration on the anniversary. Over the past two days, buses, trucks and cars ferried the men into the capital, where security forces closed off most downtown streets through the early afternoon. Many protesters arrived on foot, waving Iraqi flags and marching around Firdaus Square, where a U.S. Marine tank-recovery vehicle pulled down Saddam’s statue April 9, 2003, while hundreds cheered.

The cheers Saturday were for al-Sadr, interspersed with denunciations of the United States, Israel and Saddam.

“No, no to the Americans,” the crowd shouted. “Yes, yes to Islam.”

“We’re defending our country, our people, our sacred places and our beliefs,” said Ali Abboud, 21, standing atop a fence and waving an Iraqi flag. “We have one set of beliefs and the Americans have another. We won’t let them stay.”