Thousands of anti-war protestor gathered peacefully in heavy rain in a park across from the White House to protest the Iraq war

WASHINGTON , June 5 (IslamOnline.net) – Thousands of Americans braved the rains and marched in Washington Saturday, June 5, to protest American occupation of Iraq and mark Israel 's seizure of Arab lands in 1967.

The demonstrators, including mothers and fathers of soldiers who oppose the Iraq war, marched from outside the White House to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s house.

The carried banners urging an end to the occupation of Palestine , Afghanistan , Iraq and Haiti .

Michael Berg, the father of civilian Nicholas Berg who was beheaded in Iraq , was one of the key speaker at the rally.

He exhorted people of the world, regardless of their social and religious affiliations, to join forces in opposing the invasion-turned-occupation of Iraq .

"I am hoping that everyone who cares about peace in this country will join us," said Berg, who had blasted U.S. President George W. Bush as a "weapon of mass destruction".

The rally organizer, Act Now To Stop War and End Racism (A.N.S.W.E.R.), had said on its website that "people of the world and the world media will be looking on June 5th to see if the people stand against the Bush administration's wars of aggression."

It warned that unless the American people act now "the killing in Iraq will continue for years."

The organizers noted that in Vietnam the killing and carnage continued for years after U.S. policy makers knew full well that they could not militarily defeat the Vietnamese.

Bring Troops Home

The protesters pressed for the return of American forces, especially with the failure to find Iraq 's alleged weapons of mass destruction – the main justification for invading the Arab country.

"We will march to demand a real end to the occupation of Iraq , by bringing the troops home now, and that all foreign troops be removed from Iraq ," ANSWER said before the rally.

The group slammed the transfer of power on June 30 as "propaganda, meant to deceive people here into believing that the situation is getting better".

"It will only be a transfer of authority from one U.S. overseer, L. Paul Bremer, to another, John Negroponte, the newly proposed U.S. ambassador in Iraq ."

ANSWER said as public opinion, both in the U.S. and across the world, turns more and more against war and occupation, the Bush administration has announced a "phony turnover of sovereignty" in Iraq on June 30.

Coming as it does just three and a half weeks before the June 30 target date, the group hopes the march will be a "powerful challenge" by the people to the administration and its plans for continued occupation.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari stressed Thursday, June 3, that the tabled U.S.-British draft resolution fell short of giving full sovereignty to Iraq after the June 30 handover of power or a say in the presence of the U.S.-led occupation forces in the oil-rich country.

U.S. Secretary of State Collin Powell had said that the interim Iraqi government would have to give away some of its powers to occupation forces.

The protesters also strongly condemned the recent abuses of Iraqi detainees by U.S. soldiers, for which Rumsfeld admitted responsibility.

The abuse scandal exploded onto the world stage on April 29 after the CBS news network published several graphic photos  of Iraqi detainees tortured and sexually abused by U.S. soldiers.

Iraqi prisoners who were set free from Abu Gharib prison Friday, May 14, called for issuing an international arrest warrant for U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and his trial over their abuse.

The American New Yorker magazine dropped a bombshell Sunday, May 16, saying the torture was okayed by Rumsfeld.

Israeli Occupation

The organizers selected June 5 for the rally to mark the 37^th anniversary of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza in 1967.

June 5 is the anniversary of the 1967 war in which Israel occupied the West Bank , Gaza Strip, the Syrian Golan Heights and the Sinai peninsula , which was later liberated by the Egyptians in 1973.

"We will hear the voice of the embattled Palestinian people who to this moment are having their children shot and their homes razed as the U.S.-backed violence escalates," said the American group before the demonstration.

"We will march to call for an end to the colonial occupation of Palestine , and to support the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, including their right to return to their homeland."

Thousands of Britons commemorated the Palestinian Nakba Day Saturday, May 15, asked their government to force an end to the Israeli occupation and support the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in what is now Israel .

Similar demonstrations were organized in San Francisco and Los Angeles .

"We should probably give back the Statue of Liberty until we are ready for it again," said San Francisco protestor Liam Curry, 39, of Veterans for Peace.

"People are dying in Iraq for a lie," said Curry, who served in the U.S. Navy for six years and was wearing his military-issue cap.

Members of the Muslim and Arab communities in the country took part along with representatives of the working class communities who are suffering because of the destruction of social programs.

"The Bush administration is waging war on the people here, attacking civil rights and civil liberties at home under the pretext of the war on terrorism.

"At the same time, hundreds of billions of dollars are being diverted for war and war contractors, while the administration is slashing desperately needed funds for jobs, education, housing, healthcare and other vital programs," said the organizer.