Thousands join bicoastal war protest

About 100,000 antiwar protesters from around the country converged Saturday on the National Mall, galvanized by opposition to President Bush's plan to increase the number of troops in Iraq.

Protests attended by several thousand people also were held in Los Angeles, San Francisco and other cities. But the demonstration in the nation's capital was among the biggest since the war began.

Joining the Washington rally were several members of the House of Representatives and a few Hollywood liberal activists, including Jane Fonda, who said it was her first antiwar demonstration in 34 years.

"Silence is no longer an option," said Fonda, once derided as Hanoi Jane for her opposition to the Vietnam War. She was flanked by actors Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins.