One million protest against war in London

More than one million people staged an anti-war protest in London today, making it the UK’s largest ever peace demonstration, organisers claimed.

Hundreds of thousands of campaigners crammed into Hyde Park for a mass rally to voice opposition to a conflict with Iraq.

The turnout dwarfed the 400,000-strong countryside march which took place last year.

An ever-growing sea of people gathered around a specially constructed stage to listen to rousing speeches by politicians, pop stars and campaigners.

Waving banners and flags, protesters cheered and shouted as speakers put across the case against war.

Former Northern Secretary Mo Mowlam joined others including veteran campaigner Tony Benn and Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy.

She told the crowds: “Things can only get better if we stick together.”

And she said: “Keep it peaceful. Because being peaceful, people will have no excuse not to listen.

“Tony Blair and the Government have themselves into a right corner.”

The noisy but good natured protest was peaceful so far, with Scotland Yard reporting just three arrests.

Two men aged 31 and 32 were detained for public order offences.

One 47-year-old man was detained for possession of an offensive weapon and racist material after being arrested in Whitehall Place. They remain in custody.

A digital screen on the Hyde Park stage reported that the numbers of people on the march had risen to 1.5 million.

Scotland Yard was unable to confirm exact figures at present, but said the numbers ran into hundreds of thousands.

Organiser John Rees said the turnout was fantastic.

“It’s an electric atmosphere but also very serious and determined. It’s not just a question of war and peace,” he said.

“It’s a question of whether the government is willing to abide by the majority of the people.”

Stop the War Coalition, which organised the march, had predicted that it would be the broadest grassroots mobilisation in British history, dwarfing anti-Vietnam rallies of the 1960s and peace rallies in the 1980s.