Anti-war protests held across US
Sunday, 28 Oct 2007 13:03
Protestors observed a two-minute silence in New York in memory of soldiers who have died in Iraq
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Thousands of people across the United States have demonstrated against the Iraq war and urged Congress to cut funding for overseas operations.
The protests, organised by anti-war group United for Peace and Justice, take place on the fifth anniversary of the US senate's authorisation of the invasion of the Middle Eastern country.
Demonstrators carried placards calling for an immediate end to the war and chanted slogans criticising the leadership of US president George Bush. Protestors in New York also observed a two-minute silence in memory of the 3,800 US soldiers who have died in the conflict
One of the organisers of the rally, Mike Carano, told the Reuters news agency: "This is across-the-country sentiment about ending the occupation, redirecting funds for needs in this country, our attempt to get Congress to stand up and have its prerogative to cut funding, to take charge."
Other participants in the rally said that the funds spent abroad could have been used on improving domestic services instead such as education and housing.
Activist Leslie Kielsen told the news provider that the "half a trillion" dollars spent on ousting Saddam Hussein and rebuilding Iraq could have been allocated towards social projects such as feeding the hungry.
Rallies against the country's involvement in Iraq have also taken place in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Orlando, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Seattle. Organisers of the protests have claimed that hundred of thousands of people have participated in the marches.
