Protesters launch anti-war march in London

Hundreds of anti-war demonstrators marched through central London on Saturday to press their demand for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq.

Protesters holding posters reading "Bush world no. 1 terrorist"and "No war, no nukes" were joined by families of soldiers killed in Iraq and they converged outside the House of Lords amid heavy police security before setting off for the march in downtown London.

Some protesters traveled on coaches all the way from Scotland to join the march.

The Muslim Association of Britain, which helped organize the protest, said: "The coalition forces are seen as an occupying force and their continued presence in the region exacerbates the instability in Iraq."

Recent clashes in Basra have highlighted the urgent need to bring the occupation to an end, says "Stop the War Coalition." The group wants to show that the British people remain opposed to the continued involvement in Iraq, Sky news reported.

A survey published by the Independent newspaper Saturday indicated that about 57 percent of British are of the view that the country's troops should be pulled out of Iraq immediately.

The demonstration was staged on the eve of the ruling Labor Party's annual conference to put more pressure on Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Source: Xinhua