MEMBERS of the local community travelled in their thousands to London to demonstrate their opposition to military action against Iraq.

Coaches left early in the morning of the day of the march from Preston, Bolton, Manchester and Blackburn.

Police put the attendance for the march - which culminated in a rally in Hyde Park - at 150,000 but the Stop the War coalition claimed the total was in excess of 350,000 from around the UK.

The demonstrators were addressed by speakers including veteran left-winger Tony Benn and London Mayor Ken Livingstone, who warned that the Government could not go on ignoring the protests.

"It's one of the most powerful demonstrations there's ever been for peace," he said.

"One day people are going to have to have a peaceful revolution to make sure Parliament answers to them and not just the government of the day."

Afterwards, the organisers said they would be calling a Don't Attack Iraq Day of Action on Thursday, October 31, involving college occupations and teach-ins, workplace meetings and protests and peaceful "direct action".

Mohammed Salim, of Longsight, Manchester, was among those who made the long journey south. He told us, "It was a massive show of strength from ordinary people. Already thousands of ordinary people have died in Iraq due to sanctions and our governement is acting like big brother to the world."

"We were not supporting Saddam but the poor people who will die because of war."

Javid Atcha, of Bolton, said, "Much to my surprise there were people from all walks of life and I would say only 30% were Muslims. They were all there to demonstrate against an unjust war."

"The multi-cultural make-up of the demonstrators was good to see."

Blackburn's Mahmood Altaf travelled to London the night before. He said, "We wanted to get a message across to the government that we should not blindly follow another nation into battle. This is more than just a religious issue. There were so many people there who were not Muslim and they felt the same way."