Protesters continue march against war

In Greece thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Athens chanting "we'll stop the war" and splashing red paint on the front windows of a McDonald's restaurant. The crowd of some 15,000 protesters then marched to the US embassy.

Authorities have tightened security at potential targets in the Greek capital after a spate of arson attacks against US banks and other businesses since the war began.

In the southern German city of Stuttgart thousands of demonstrators encircled the US military's European Command, linking hands in a human chain amid a new round of nationwide protests against the war in Iraq.

About 6,000 people formed a three-mile chain around the facility's perimeter, which stayed in place for five minutes. They were watched over by several hundred police officers, but no incidents were reported.

Meanwhile in Cape Town, South Africa, thousands of anti-war protesters chanting slogans and burning American flags demanded US, British and Spanish ambassadors be expelled from the country.

Lawmakers, activists, trade union members and religious groups joined the march of more than 10,000 protesters to the US Consulate, the South African Press Association reported.

In downtown Seoul, in South Korea, riot police clashed with student protesters as thousands of activists marched through the city.

"Stop the bombing, stop the killing," the protesters chanted, marching down four lanes of an eight-lane boulevard.

The demonstrators also demanded that the National Assembly reject a government bill authorising the dispatch of 600 military engineers and 100 medical personnel to support the war.

In Malaysia, police used tear gas to disperse hundreds of demonstrators, mostly from the political opposition, who rallied outside the Australian Embassy to protest against the war.

The protesters, who staged a sit-down demonstration outside the embassy, scuffled with police when officers moved in to scatter the crowd, but there were no reported injuries. Police then fired a round of tear gas.

Twelve protesters, including a woman, were arrested for defying police orders to disperse, a police spokesman told reporters.

In London the protests continued today but turnout was well down from the huge crowds seen at protests before the start of military action in Iraq.

One group of demonstrators planning to join a march to the British Broadcasting Corporation headquarters in London was asked by organizers to wait an extra half hour before starting off.

"I don't think we have enough people to do it at the moment," Paul Green told the group of around 50 people



Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2003