War protesters continue to march

War protesters continue to march

Scots are being urged to take to the streets again

More than 500 protesters took to the streets of Glasgow to voice their opposition to the on-going war in Iraq.

Campaigners marched through Glasgow city centre before staging a rally in Glasgow Green.

Police - who said the even passed off peacefully - estimated the number taking part in the demonstration to be about 500, although organisers said they were nearer 2,000.

Among the speakers at the event were Scottish Socialist Party leader Tommy Sheridan, SNP election candidate Sandra White and Bryony McLeod, a 15-year-old campaigner from Edinburgh.

The event was the latest in a series of marches organised by the Scottish Coalition for Justice not War.

'Global inequality'

John Ainslie, the co-ordinator of Scottish CND, said he was delighted with the number of people who had taken part in the demonstration.

He said: "It's good that there's still people coming out, even in the current climate, to express their concern about what is happening in Iraq and what could happen in the future."

The rally comes as pilots from RAF Leuchars are returning from bombing raids as part of the coalition offensive in Iraq.

A spokesperson for the organisers said: "Dead and maimed people do not dance with joy.

"Further, the tyranny of global inequality and the domination by the west of the world's markets and resources is being strengthened.

"We will not shut up about this, or about the arrogance of the UK government in its cynical disregard for public opinion, or the fact that further 'pre-emptive' aggression is even now being planned."