In March 2004, “the weekly newspaper Hawza, which was operated by [Iraqi theologian and political leader] Muqtada al-Sadr’s organization, ran a series of articles suggesting that violence against coalition forces was more than appropriate. The paper (which had a circulation of 50,000) also took a shot at [Coalition Provisional Authority leader] Ambassador [L. Paul] Bremer by stating that he was following in the footsteps of Saddam Hussein. …On March 27, 2004, Bremer gave the order to close Hawza for sixty days.” At first, when it was closed, “There was no resistance and no violence. Over the next few days, however, thousands of al-Sadr followers staged angry but nonviolent demonstrations in the streets of Sadr City [the Shia district of Baghdad]. ‘Where is democracy now?’ they shouted. ‘What about freedom of the press?’ ”
– Ricardo S. Sanchez with Donald T. Phillips, Wiser in Battle, Page 330