Anti War Rally in London

LONDON, Mar 18: At least 14,000 anti-war protesters marched through London today, three years after the invasion of Iraq, calling for US and British troops to pull out.

Some marchers held placards bearing a photograph of U S President George W Bush and the words ''World's Number 1 Terrorist''. Others carried banners saying ''Peace not Profit'' and ''End the occupation, don't attack Iran''.

A handful of protesters donned orange boiler suits and wore shackles on their wrists to mimic outfits worn in the US Guantanamo Bay prison, and carried photographs of prisoners.

''We want to achieve two things: to hurry the British government into leaving Iraq and to make it aware of public opinion that it can't join the American government if it attacks Iran,'' said John Rees, co-founder of Stop the War Coalition.

Organisers said the march was one of several planned worldwide to protest against the Iraq war, from Australia to Japan to the United States. The turnout of 14,000 was a police estimate.

MAJORITY SLASHED The demonstration was a far cry from the massive protests in February 2003 ahead of the invasion of Iraq when millions took to the streets around the globe to protest.

Huge opposition to the war in Britain was partly responsible for Prime Minister Tony Blair's majority being slashed in the May 2005 general election.

Britain has 8,000 troops in Iraq and is sending another 3,500 to Afghanistan where its presence will peak at 5,700.

Britain, like the United States, has said it hopes to withdraw from Iraq when local security forces improve their capabilities.

Chanting ''Tony, Tony, Tony, out, out, out,'' and ''George Bush we know you, your father was a killer too'', marchers from across Britain wended their way from the Houses of Parliament, past Queen Elizabeth's London residence and on to Trafalgar Square.

The demonstration was organised by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Stop the War Coalition and the Muslim Association of Britain. Organisers had hoped for 100,000 marchers but the turnout on a freezing day in London was far lower.

Former left-wing Labour minister and veteran anti-war campaigner Tony Benn said however small the numbers, the protest against the war was representative of public opinion worldwide.

''What's important is the people who have come on the march.

We have built relationships with Muslims, Jews, Christians, blacks, whites,'' he told Reuters. ''We want to dismiss the idea that it's a religious war, which it isn't.'' While British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said military action is inconceivable against Iran to end a standoff over its nuclear programme, protesters were worried about a U.S. strike.

''The world has been set on fire by the repeated military actions and we don't want to see any more oil thrown on those flames,'' said John Ellison, a member of Stop the War Coalition.

Benn said US military action was partly responsible for escalating tensions in the Middle East.

''Bush is encouraging the spread of nuclear weapons. Because if you want to be safe, you need to get a nuclear bomb.''

Reuters