The 2012–13 Iraqi protests started on 21 December 2012 following a raid on the home of Sunni Finance Minister Rafi al-Issawi and the arrest of 10 of his bodyguards. Beginning in Fallujah, the protests afterwards spread throughout Sunni Arab parts of Iraq, and even gained support from non-Sunni Iraqi politicians such as Muqtada al-Sadr. The protests centered on the issue of the perceived sectarianism of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Pro-Maliki protests also took place throughout southern Iraq, where there is a Shia Arab majority. In April 2013, sectarian violence escalated after the 2013 Hawija clashes. The protests continued throughout 2013, and in December Maliki used security forces to forcefully close down the main protest camp, in Ramadi. Some Sunnis took up arms in response, and joi