Baghdad ? Thousands of followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr protested Friday in Shiite enclaves across Iraq against plans for a long-term security pact that would allow for an extended U.S. military presence in the country.

“No, no to America. No, no to the occupation,” demonstrators waving Iraqi flags and banners chanted after afternoon prayers in Sadr’s Baghdad stronghold of Sadr City. “Yes, yes, Muqtada. Long live al-Sadr.”

The protests highlighted Sadr’s still-formidable power and popularity among poor Shiites, even as the Shiite-led Iraqi government, backed by U.S. and British forces, has waged a campaign in recent months to weaken his movement and undermine his leadership credentials.