Protesters gathered in south and north Wales to show their opposition to a possible war against Iraq.

In Cardiff, more than 1,000 people joined the South Wales Coalition to Stop the War march through the city centre, which started at 1200 GMT.

Earlier, a demonstration in the Flintshire town of Mold was held on Saturday morning.

Coalition to Stop the War organised the march

The marches and rallies were timed to coincide with national and worldwide protests against military action in the Middle East.

Vigils were scheduled to take place in London, Birmingham and Nottingham at the same time as a mass demonstration was to be held in Washington DC, and rallies in Bradford and Glasgow were planned.

In Cardiff, peace campaigners marched through the city centre, ending with a rally at City Hall addressed by delegate represenatives and politicians.

Students

More than three times the numbers originally estimated by the organisers turned out in support of the demonstation.

One woman said she had to come for the sake of her grandchildren.

Another marcher said: "I don't think there has been sufficient evidence there that has been put before us to justify what could potentially be the death of hundreds of thousands of people."

Two people were arrested and later cautioned for wilful obstruction of the highway after a group of anarchists tried to block St Mary Street in the city centre.

More demos against the war are promised

A police spokesman said: "A number of them joined together and attempted to chain themselves to street furniture, block the highway and stop the procession."

Teresa Goss from the Coalition to Stop the War said: "I think the cabinet is actually quite split in this.

"I think the more we have demonstrations like this the more we are going to make Tony Blair realise actually we do not want any invasion of Iraq at all."

International students from Atlantic College near Llantwit Major in south Wales were set to join the march, including a young Columbian student nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 16.

Gerson Andres Florez Perez, now 17, won the Global Youth Award for Peace and Tolerance at the UN in New York, 1999.

'Power'

He said: "Nobody has the right to say who can live and who must die.

"All of us have the same right to be free and live in peace.

Teresa Goss: thinks the Labour cabinet is split

"There is no justification in killing anyone. We can and must find other ways to keep security and freedom.

"Whatever our age, religion or nationality we are all brothers and sisters.

"Together we have the power to build a better world."

In Mold, anti-war campaigners encouraged motorists to show their support by sounding their horns.

Organiser David McKnight said people had become more aware of the dangers of war with Iraq.

"There is a lot more support and you can tell there are a lot more people who want to get involved," he said.