Thousands of demonstrators gathered in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul Sunday to protest any extension of U.S. military presence in the country. The protesters also denounced corruption and pressed for the release of detainees. The U.S. military is due to exit Iraq by December 31, but secret talks have begun to allow the United States to stay longer. Demonstrators loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have vowed to escalate military resistance if U.S. forces do not leave by year’s end.

Sheikh Nasir Al-Saedi, a Sadr aide: “If we are forced to face them, we will. If the occupier doesn’t leave Iraq, we will face it militarily, culturally, in every way.”