Tens of thousands of protesters against the war on Iraq marched through European capitals on Saturday, but U.S. President George W. Bush said the invasion just two years ago had shielded the world from "grave danger". 45,000 protesters marched through central London. The protesters marked the second anniversary of the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. Some 10,000 people marched through the centre of Rome, waving anti-war banners and protesting against the Italian troop presence in Iraq. Protesters also marched in Madrid and Barcelona. In Turkey, about 10,000 protesters attended a rally in Istanbul, and smaller demonstrations were held in Ankara and Izmir. Bush made an uncompromising defence of the invasion in his weekly radio address: "On this day two years ago, we launched Operation Iraqi Freedom to disarm a brutal regime, free its people, and defend the world from a grave danger." "Today we're seeing hopeful signs across the broader Middle East," he said.
