''Peace Mom'' begins anti-war protest in Crawford, Texas

Washington, Aug 7 (UNI) Cindy Sheehan, nicknamed 'the Peace Mom', has resumed her protest against Iraq war, in front of President Bush's Crawford ranch, where he is vacationing, a year after her first such protest.

Last year, thousands flocked to join her, reinvigorating the nation's peace movement. Yesterday, under a scorching sun, in Texas, Ms Sheehan, joined by more than 50 demonstrators, again marched a mile and a half toward Bush's ranch, stopping at a roadblock. As Secret Service agents stood silently, Ms Sheehan held up her California driver's license and said she wanted to meet the President.

She told the officers that she now lives in Crawford since she has recently bought land there to set up her protest shop.

Ms Sheehan, originally from Berkeley, California, simply said in her protest speech, ''My name is Cindy and Bush killed my son.'' The group then chanted, ''This is what democracy looks like! This is what democracy sounds like!''and a few people sang ''This Land Is Your Land'', while standing near the roadblock before returning to the protest site.

White House spokesman Tony Snow made it clear that neither Mr Bush nor his staff plan to meet with Ms Sheehan. According to him, she has not raised any issue that could be brought up for discussion at the level of a personal meeting with Mr Bush.

Earlier yesterday, about 50 protesters attended an interfaith service Sunday on the 5 acres that Gold Star Families for Peace recently bought with insurance money Ms Sheehan received after her oldest son, Casey, died in Iraq in 2004.

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