THE organisation behind the biggest anti-war marches in London has announced plans for a rally in Blackburn ahead of the visit of Condoleezza Rice to Blackburn.

The Stop The War Coalition has put out a national appeal to its members to travel to both Blackburn and Liverpool this weekend.

It plans a protest outside the town hall on Saturday in the hope it will show Foreign Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw that they don't want the American Secretary of State, described by many as the world's most powerful woman, in the North West.

Arrangements for coaches to travel from cities across the North to both Blackburn and Liverpool are now being posted on the group's website.

Opposition to the visit is also beginning to show among local college lecturers. An open letter signed by 20 lecturers at Blackburn College has been sent to Mr Straw.

It asks him to divert money being spent on Iraq to help education. Courses have been cut in this academic year at the college to keep within budget.

The Stop the War Coalition has organised several rallies in London on the anniversaries of the Iraq conflict, and was one of the groups behind the march which saw one million take to the streets shortly before the invasion by British and American troops.

Ms Rice's visit to Blackburn is in return for the hospitality she showed Mr Straw when he visited her home city of Birmingham, Alabama, last year. Her role of Secretary of State is the closest the American democratic system has to a Foreign Secretary.

Details of where she will go, and who she will meet, have not been released to the public.

A spokesman for the Stop The War Coalition said: "It is important to protest because she is an important member of the USA cabal that conspired to mislead the world about Iraq, to justify the illegal war with all its dire consequences for the Iraqi people, the stability of the Middle East, security against terrorism in the West and the cost to taxpayers.

"The situation is far worse than before the war, and puts lie to the argument that the war was for the welfare of the Iraqi people.

"More than half of Iraqis now say life was better under Saddam Hussein."

Local activist Tassadiq Rehman, of the Muslim Council of Europe, also has a protest planned for Saturday, also at the town hall.

He has organised marches in the past, including a pro-Taliban march in Blackburn in 2001.