Protesters take anti-war message to US

WASHINGTON: More than 200 protesters filed past the White House on Friday, denouncing the war in Afghanistan, as activists kept up their campaign in the US capital against corporate power.

"Drones flying, children dying, stop the war now," chanted the marchers as they streamed through the heart of Washington, carrying model drones and banners that demanded an immediate NATO pullout from Afghanistan.

Some uniformed police stood by, mainly for traffic control, while a few of the protesters were seen mingling with foreign tourists who regularly gather on the public terrace outside the White House.

The late-morning march was part of a Stop the Machine rally that pitched camp in Freedom Plaza, mid-way between the Capitol and the White House, on Thursday, echoing the demands of the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York.

Stop the Machine is separate from Occupy DC, a younger group of about three dozen protesters that has settled into McPherson Square on K Street, where many political lobbyists have their offices.

On Friday its members greeted commuters with placards denouncing corporate greed. Later they mingled in small groups and swapped experiences with Occupy Wall Street participants who have come down to the nation's capital. (AFP)