BAGHDAD, April 3 (Reuters) - Iraq's government will not attempt to block a planned massive demonstration by followers of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr next week, provided it is peaceful, said Interior Ministry spokesman Major-General Abdul-Karim Khalaf.

"The right to hold a peaceful demonstration and express opinions is guaranteed by the constitution, and we don't mind as long as the demonstration is peaceful," Khalaf told Reuters.

Sadr, whose followers clashed with government troops across southern Iraq and Baghdad last week, has called for a million-strong march against U.S. "occupation" to take place on April 9, the fifth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; writing by Peter Graff)

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