Montreal — Few in the army of anti-war protesters who marched through Montreal on Saturday said they believed they could stop an eventual assault on Iraq.
Yet organizers estimated more than 200,000 of them took to the streets as part of an international day of demonstrations.
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"They're going to go [to war] anyway, no matter what we do," said David McCray as he walked toward Complexe Guy Favreau, Montreal's main federal building.
"But it would be nice to be able to isolate [U.S. President George W.] Bush from the rest of the world, and this is the kind of thing we are doing right now."
The Montreal demonstration was by far the largest of at least 45 others across Canada on Saturday. Also notable was a 10,000-strong turnout in Vancouver.
Tens of thousands of others rallied worldwide, through Europe, Asia and the Middle East and the United States itself.
Montreal police do not provide official crowd estimates the turnout was at least as big as the estimated 150,000 demonstrators who braved frigid temperatures on Feb. 15.
That day, it took one hour for the entire procession to pass from beginning to end. On Saturday, organizers had marchers converge on Complexe Guy Favreau from the western and eastern edges of Montreal's downtown core, and the western march alone took 45 minutes to pass.
By contrast, Toronto police estimated 4,000 to 5,000 people marched from the U.S. Consulate to Moss Park Armoury, about 1,500 protesters snaked through downtown Ottawa and about 350 people braved the deep chill on the Halifax waterfront for a quiet protest against war.
Among the possible explanations for the alarming disparity in the number of participants was a strong sentiment in the Montreal crowd of solidarity with France, which has been one of the staunchest opponents to immediate military action in Iraq.
French President Jacques Chirac was referred to on many placards, such as, No to War in Iraq, Listen to Chirac.
Montreal's anti-war demonstrations have also included a major presence from Quebec's unions, which are generally considered to be more influential than in the rest of Canada.
For example, the Quebec Federation of Labour — the province's largest union group — invited its membership of more than 500,000 to take part in Saturday's march.
In Vancouver, the protesters marched several city blocks to a downtown art gallery for rally with music and speakers including environmentalist David Suzuki.
"We are here today as global citizens to show our firm opposition to the Bush administration's high handed policies of ignoring the dissenting opinions in the UN," Mr. Suzuki said. "We urge our government to stay out of this war."
Holding signs emblazoned with slogans such as like How Many Lives Per Litre? and Weapons of Mass Distraction, the Montreal demonstrators joyfully chorused anti-war chants and sang songs to the constant beat of tam-tam drums.
The final gathering in front of Complexe Guy Favreau packed more than four city blocks with people.
Many demonstrators in Montreal said they felt compelled to protest for the therapeutic value of a shared experience with like-minded people, rather than an attempt to stop the war in Iraq.
"I think [the demonstration] affects each one of us who is here," said Terry Borsman, who drove about 150 kilometres from Lake Massawippi in Quebec's Eastern Townships to demonstrate with his wife. "I know I feel so frustrated about [the war], but I feel very good about coming out here today."
Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe was among the Montreal marchers Saturday, just as he was on Feb. 15.
He said he felt it was still important to maintain pressure on the government, especially after Friday's news that a small number of Canadian military personnel have been authorized to serve with British and U.S. forces in an Iraq war.
"There's no reason for Canadian troops to be integrated with [British and U.S.] forces, which is why we've requested an emergency debate on Monday," Mr. Duceppe said. "Demonstrations like this support the fight we are leading in Ottawa."
In Ottawa, a small group of three pro-American demonstrators got into a shouting match with anti-war protesters as they made their way to the rally.
Standing near the U.S. embassy, angry protesters traded insults with the three men, who were carrying U.S. flags and wearing Remembrance Day poppies.
