MASS DEMONSTRATIONS TAKE PLACE WORLDWIDE TO CONDEMN WAR IN IRAQ

Mass demonstrations took place all over the world on Saturday to condemn the war in Iraq, on the second anniversary of the US-led invasion. More than 4,500 people marched in Tokyo to protest their country's involvement in the war, during a visit by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. "The Self-Defence Force (Japan's military) should withdraw from Iraq immediately and the occupation of Iraq should be stopped," said Ken Takada, a member of civic group World Peace Now. Japan has about 550 troops in southern Iraq in a non-combat role. In Canberra and other Australian cities, protesters marched against what they called the "coalition of the killing". Australia recently announced the deployment of a further 450 soldiers to Iraq. Thousands more marched across Europe and in many cities in the US. US President George W Bush defended the war in a radio address, saying it took place "to disarm a brutal regime, free its people, and defend the world". Demonstrators took to the streets in Barcelona and other Spanish cities to protest the war which convinced many people to vote for the Socialist Party in the March 14 general election last year. As leader of the Opposition, Prime Minister José Luis Rodrígez Zapatero had promised that the first thing he would do if elected would be to bring the 1,400-strong Spanish peace-keeping force home from Iraq. One of the biggest marches was in London, where organizers said 100,000 people took part. Police put the figure at 45,000. Two former British soldiers left a cardboard coffin outside the US embassy, inscribed with the words: "100,000 dead". One protester said: "I think it's outrageous what Blair and Bush think they can get away with it." Some said they wanted British and US forces to withdraw from Iraq, but others disagreed. One bystander said: "We got the Iraqis into this mess, we need to help them out of it." Meanwhile, in the US, protestors marched in several US cities, bearing coffins draped with the country's flag. But observers said the US demonstrations were far smaller than previous protests against the war. One protestor explained: "I think Bush's re-election took the steam out of the anti-war movement." The US has around 150,000 troops in Iraq.