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A major protest movement was set in motion in early July in Iraq's southern and central provinces over a lack of services and against corruption. As a result, Baghdad residents held demonstrations in support of the southern protests, while the liberated provinces sought to support the southern provinces in any way possible.
However, civilian activists in Salahuddin and Anbar provinces were deterred from taking to the streets in support of those in south and central Iraq, for several reasons, most notably the security situation and prevailing fears that the Islamic State (IS) could use such protests to re-ingrain itself with the public.
