LONDON, Sept 27: Tens of thousands of people demonstrated without incident across Europe and the Middle East on Saturday against the US-led occupation of Iraq and to voice support for the Palestinians.

The largest rally took place in London, where police estimated 20,000 demonstrators, although organizers put the tally at five times higher.

Demonstrations, attracting leading politicians, also took place in France, Belgium, Austria, Greece, Poland, Turkey and Lebanon, although turnout paled compared to the massive rallies earlier this year before the invasion of Iraq.

London’s high-profile mayor and Labour dissident Ken Livingstone was among the speakers in the British capital.

The war has “always been about oil and always (will) cost the lives of innocent Arab men, women and children”, Mr Livingstone told the thousands gathered in Trafalagar Square.

Britain contributed over 40,000 troops to the US-led invasion of Iraq in March. The fallout from the conflict, including the suicide of David Kelly, the respected government scientist at the centre of claims Britain exaggerated its case for war, have left Prime Minister Tony Blair facing the worst crisis of his tenure.

Banners carried by demonstrators in London carried the slogans “Blair must go” and “UK troops out of Iraq”.

In mid-February 1.5 million demonstrators had marched against the then looming war in central London.

In Paris on Saturday, 3,000 people (8,000 according to organisers) took to the streets to protest US policy and voice strong support for the Palestinians, police said. French President Jacques Chirac had been at the forefront of European opposition to the Iraq war launched in March.

In Warsaw, about 100 demonstrated, calling for Poland’s 2,400-strong contingent in the country to be brought home.

In Istanbul, Turkey’s economic capital, close to 3,000 protested the occupation of neighbouring Iraq and Israel’s policies against the Palestinians, the Anatolia news agency reported.

“Freedom to Palestine, long live the global intifada,” chanted the Turkish demonstrators.

An unspecified number of protesters also gathered in Ankara.

NATO member Turkey has yet to decide on whether to contribute soldiers to a stability force in Iraq, but the idea has attracted criticism from both the public and parliament — which has to approve the dispatch of Turkish soldiers abroad.

There were also demonstrations in Greece, Austria and Belgium.—AFP