 "America has unsheathed its fangs and its despicable intentions, and the conscientious Iraqi people cannot remain silent at all.They must defend their rights in the ways they see fit," the statement said, according to the Washington Post.A day after the statement given by Sadr, violent protests occurred throughout the Shiite south, soon spilling over into a violent uprising by Mahdi Army militiamen, which was fully underway by April 6, 2004.