The arrest of a prominent Sunni Muslim lawmaker, and government critic, sparked clashes in which at least five people were killed, police sources say.
The lawmaker, Ahmed al-Alwani was violently arrested in a raid on his home in the western province of Anbar -- a move likely to exacerbate tensions in the Sunni-dominated province.
The arrest triggered a two hour firefight between Alwani's bodyguards and police.
Protesters here have been demonstrating against Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-led government, which they view as marginalizing toward their sect.
