Thousands of people have taken to the streets of US cities for a second day of protests against the war in Iraq.

Rallies were held in New York, San Francisco, Portland and in other cities ahead of Tuesday's fourth anniversary of the start of the conflict.

Tens of thousands of Iraqis have died as well as some 3,200 US troops.

Organisers said thousands marched through Manhattan calling for troops to come home and for President George W Bush to be impeached.

Amid near-freezing temperatures, the New York protesters carried placards reading "Drop Bush, Not Bombs" and "Four Years Too Long".

'Occupation must end'

Actor Tim Robbins said the protest was not "a strange, lefty movement".

"American people want this war to end, so when are we going to start listening to them?" he said.

Leslie Kielson, of the organisers United for Peace and Justice, said: "The troops must be brought home now, this war and occupation must end, and it must end now."

Compared to Saturday's mass rally in Washington there seemed to be no major counter demonstration in New York by supporters of Mr Bush's policy in Iraq.

There was a counter-protest in San Francisco by people carrying US flags and saying they were putting on a show of support for the troops.

One student, Leigh Wolf, said: "It's important to make sure that the sacrifices that we've already made are worth it. This is a war we can still win."

About 3,000 anti-war protesters demonstrated in the city.

In Portland, Oregon, thousands more marchers rallied in the city centre.

Blair Jones, a spokesman for Mr Bush, who is spending the weekend at Camp David, said of the demonstrations: "Our constitution guarantees the right to peacefully express one's views.

"The men and women in our military are fighting to bring the people of Iraq the same rights and freedoms."

A vote is scheduled this week, in the Democrat-led House of Representatives, on war spending that includes a deadline of bringing US troops back by 1 September 2008 or quicker if the Iraqi government fails to meet certain requirements.

If it is passed, the president has threatened to veto it.

Saturday's protests also took place outside the US - in European capitals and in Australia.

Spain's protests were the largest in Europe, with some estimates putting the number of people taking part at 100,000.

PHOTO CAPTION

A protester is apprehended during a clash with police after leaving the protest route near the Pentagon during an antiwar rally in Washington, DC, 17 March 2007. (AFP)

BBC