Danes do not want to see Bush

As they promised before, thousands of Danes march to protest a visit by President George W. Bush. Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen on Wednesday to protest a visit by President George W. Bush amid one of the biggest security operations Denmark has ever seen, reports the AP.

The rally kicked off as Bush left Denmark after a 17-hour visit and headed to a G8 summit in Gleaneagles, Scotland, making his way to just another protest venue.

Organizers expected some 20,000 people to join the anti-Bush demonstration outside the embassy. There were no immediate reports of violence.

"The main issue is Bush's foreign policy," said Lars Moeller, a 44-year-old janitor. "The Iraq war ... is an illegal war they way I see it and Denmark is part of it."

Denmark's center-right government is a staunch supporter of the Bush administration and has committed troops to U.S.-led coalitions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Nine demonstrators were wearing orange jump suits and ankle chains to protest the U.S. prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

A 30-year-old Dane was arrested Monday in Copenhagen for allegedly making threats against Bush in an e-mail.

Protests started even before the U.S. president had arrived, with about 150 people turning up for a peaceful anti-Bush rally in the northwestern city of Aarhus.

In Copenhagen, organizers said about 5,000 people came to a downtown park for a rock concert staged to urge Bush to do more to fight poverty and HIV/AIDS.

During his visit Bush once again defended his stance on Iraq, climate change, Guantanamo and aid to Africa - all things that have made him unpopular in Europe.

Notably, even being far away from his country Bush continued acting as he was at home. For example, he used a news conference with Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as a tribune to express his opinion on domestic policies: Bush said he would not choose a Supreme Court nominee based on their views on abortion or other hot-button political issues.

Photo: AP