MOSCOW (voa) – Russia and China are among the nations condemning the U.S.-led war against Iraq, as anti-war protests are held around the world.
In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the war was not justified and called for a swift end to the conflict. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the attack violated the norms of international behavior. Germany and France have expressed dismay at the start of military operations.
The Vatican expressed “deep pain” over the war. Anti-war protests were held in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Activists blocked traffic and held rallies in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Washington, and other U.S. cities.
In Europe, more than 100,000 people protested the war in Greece, while tens of thousands attended rallies in Italy and Germany. Protests were also held in Britain, France, and other countries.
Anti-war protests broke out in the Middle East and Asia, with thousands of demonstrators clashing with Egyptian police near the U.S. embassy in Cairo. U.S. allies – including Britain, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain and Australia – defended the U.S.-led war, saying the action was justified. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged the warring parties to respect international humanitarian law, and do everything in their power to shield the civilian population from what he called the “grim consequences of war.”
In Italy, tens of thousands demonstrated in cities including Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin and Bologna. In the capital, students and workers gathered outside the U.S. embassy. The country’s three biggest unions held strikes.
German cities were also the scene of anti-war protests. Tens of thousands of people rallied in Berlin, Stuttgart, Cologne, Munich and other places.
In Britain, hundreds of protesters led by the Stop The War Coalition poured into Parliament Square in the heart of London. The campaigners declared Thursday a “day of shame” because of the conflict. British police said seven people were arrested for disturbing the peace.
Several thousand French demonstrators gathered in the Place de la Concorde in central Paris for a protest. There also were demonstrations in Switzerland, Denmark, Austria and Russia.
Hundreds of students gathered outside the U.S. embassy in Cyprus chanting anti-war slogans. Some also threw eggs at the building.
