Anti-war protest in Nairobi

Police banned the march but it went ahead anyway

Thousands of Muslims in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, have defied a police ban and protested against the American-led attacks against Afghanistan.

Demonstrators came out onto the streets after Friday prayers carrying pictures of Osama Bin Laden, the main suspect behind last month's attacks on New York and Washington.

Banners criticising the United States, Britain and Israel were held aloft and there were chants such as "Down, Down, USA!" and "Allah Akhbar" (God is great)

"Bin Laden is our hero. We, Kenyan Muslims, will always support him," said one banner.

The protest along Kenyatta Avenue and other major roads was reported to be generally peaceful.

Muslims make up about 25% of the population of Kenya.

Bin Laden

Demonstrators marched to President Daniel arap Moi's office and handed in a demand that his government condemn US and British "acts of terrorism and aggression against the innocent people of Afghanistan".

Bin Laden is suspected of masterminding the 1998 US embassy bombing in Kenya

President Moi has voiced his support for the global effort to combat terrorism following the 11 September attacks.

Osama Bin Laden, sheltered by the Taleban regime in Afghanistan, is also the prime suspect in the the Nairobi bombing in 1998 in which more than 200 Kenyans died.

There were also protests in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa.

An AFP journalist said that police dispersed demonstrators there using batons.

On Thursday, the head of the Mombasa branch of the Supreme Council of Kenyan Muslims, Juma Ngao, called on all Muslims to protest.