NEW YORK (voa) – Tens-of-thousands of protesters are marching past Madison Square Garden, in mid-town New York, where the Republican presidential nominating convention begins Monday.
New York police expect the protest to be the biggest political demonstration in the city in decades.
The march was organized by United for Peace and Justice, an umbrella group for hundreds of anti-war, anti-Bush groups across the country.
Local City Council member Charles Barron addressed the crowds, as they gathered for the march in the sweltering morning heat. “We need a regime change in Washington and New York and places all over the country. We need regime changes here, not in Iraq,” he said.
Protest organizers say they want the demonstration to be peaceful. But the group lost a battle with the city to hold a rally in Central Park, and many participants say they plan to converge on the park after the march ends. New York Police say they are prepared for any and all contingencies.
Police have arrested about 350 people since Thursday in incidents related to convention protests, which are planned throughout the week.
