Thousands in Madrid protest at Bush visit

Thousands of Spaniards have been marching through downtown Madrid to protest against the forthcoming visit of George W Bush.

An estimated 2,500 protesters carried signs that said, "Bush Go Home," and "Cowboy Atila, Bush, No" on the march through the heart of the capital from the Plaza de Espana to the Puerta del Sol square.

Bush arrives on Tuesday in Madrid for talks with conservative Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar on the initial stop of the president's first major overseas trip.

In a speech to the crowd, union leader Adolfo Jimenez condemned the Spanish government for allowing 3,500 US troops to be stationed on the country's military bases.

He added: "The visit of Bush represents the evil image of the Empire."

The six-day, five-nation tour will put the new American president face to face with European leaders critical of his policies on missile defence, trade and the environment.

In Spain, trade unions, anti-globalisation and anti-death penalty groups and other grass-roots organisations are planning several days of protests.

The death penalty is a key theme of anti-American sentiment in Spain, following the arrival in Spain of a Spanish citizen who spent 37 months on death row in the United States.

Last week, a Florida jury in a retrial acquitted Joaquin Jose Martinez in a double slaying after pleas from Spanish King Juan Carlos and the Madrid government.

Thousands of Spaniards contributed to Martinez's legal fees.