Demonstrations in Baghdad and Mosul against the lack of employment opportunities turned violent on 1 October. Protesters gathered outside a police station in the capital, where they said they had been offered jobs. After initially marching peacefully, the men started throwing incendiary devices and destroying cars. Local police dispersed them and US forces secured the area. 'All these policemen are corrupt,' said one of the protesters. 'We gave them money to register our names as candidates [for jobs] and when we returned they said we had no business being here.'