During the beginning of April, 2003 and event occurred in Firdos Square that changed the lives of thousands of Iraqis in Baghdad. There was a statue of Saddam Hussein that stood about the height of four men that resembled his power over the people but, to the people, he was seen as a criminal. Saddam Hussein was feared amongst the population to the point that they could not even use his name in a derogatory way without being severely punished. Saddam Hussein was a horrible criminal and the Iraqis were his victims among many others. Once America was closing in on Saddam’s location, the Iraqis began to celebrate. To demonstrate their joy and freedom from Saddam Hussein, thousands of Iraqis gathered in Firdos Square and began trying to tear down the statue of Saddam Hussein. While this statue was once a piece of art that resembled a leader, the demolition of this statue now resembled freedom. The U.S. Marines joined in to help the Iraqis to their freedom by using an armed recovery vehicle to pull the statue down and during the process hung an American Flag and a Baghdad Flag. After the statue was brought down, there were cheers echoing throughout the village while individuals continued to stomp, hit, smash, drag, and demolish the statue of Saddam Hussein. They were finally free from their fear.
