Anti-war Christians gather for protest in D.C.
Marking a fourth year of fighting in the Iraq conflict, thousands of Christians gathered in the nation's capital on Friday night to protest the occupation of Iraq and call for a withdrawal of American troops. The event, which began in the Washington National Cathedral and was followed by a march to the White House, kicked off a series of protests being held throughout the country to voice opposition to the war.
"I'm here tonight, as a witness to the true cost of this war," said Celeste Zappala, whose son was killed in Iraq, in remarks during the prayer service. "And I am joined this night, by others who have lost their sons to the betrayal and madness that is the war in Iraq."
Often portrayed as uniformly supportive of President Bush and the war effort, many Christians opposed to the war feel the need to make their voices heard, event leaders explained.
The advocacy coalition Peace Witness for Iraq, which was the primary organizer of the event, claimed to have distributed 3,200 tickets for the service, while organizers for Saturday's march have obtained a permit for up to 30,000 protesters.
The following video report is from the Associated Press.
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