By ALAINA SUE POTRIKUS
Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON - Thousands of protesters marched peacefully through downtown Washington on Saturday, calling for an end to the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq and accusing President Bush of lying to win support for the invasion.

The crowd appeared to be much smaller than the 30,000 people the organizers had predicted would attend the first major anti-war demonstration held in the nation’s capital since Bush declared an end to major combat operations in Iraq on May 1.

Still, enthusiasm was high. The protesters gathered near the foot of the Washington Monument in bright fall sunshine to listen to a series of speakers before marching on a route heavy with police that took them past the White House and the Justice Department.

The rally drew people from across the country and from all walks of life.

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