Antiwar Protest Held in Washington

Juan Torres Sr., 52, of Chicago, held a poster with a photo of his son, Juan Torres Jr. in his Army uniform. Torres said his 25-year-old old son died while serving in the war in 2004. Military officials, he said, told him his son committed suicide by shooting himself, but Torres doesn't believe it.

He said he opposes the war because "I don't want to see other families like mine" lose a child.

The demonstrators were immediately confronted by several hundred counter-protesters, who came to the Mall to demand that politicians see the war through to victory. At a large stage on the Mall at 7th Street, speakers said they did not want to abandon the Iraqi people, as they said America had done in ending the Vietnam war, and that they wanted soldiers to be shown respect when they returned from Iraq.

Anti war protesters who approached the fringes of the counterdemonstration on the Mall were quickly chased off. One man in a tie dye t-shirt was surrounded by several screaming counterdemonstrators who called him a traitor. He replied, "Is this what we've come to," before being escorted away by police.

Organizers said at least 1,000 people had registered for the "die-in" at the Capitol. Most people registered online earlier in the week, but others did today at the site of the rally.

Those who registered were given a four-page handout instructing them to be "willing to risk arrest.'' In case they are arrested, the handout said, protesters should bring their medication and make sure they have eaten.

"You should eat prior to risking arrest,'' the handout said. "It may be several hours before you have access to food.''

Two counterprotest groups, the Gathering of Eagles, made up of Vietnam veterans, and the D.C. chapter of the conservative group Free Republic, led today's counterdemonstrations.

At the U.S. Navy Memorial, members of the Gathering of Eagles set up a command post in anticipation of counter protesters who planned to line Pennsylvania Avenue near 7th St. NW. Organizers said they plan to counter antiwar protestor's chants but had no plans for civil disobedience.

"It will be a lot of bull horns, a lot of 'singing God Bless America', " said Betty Kilbride, 48, of Arlington, a writer who described herself as supporting the troops. Deborah King-Lile, 55, of St. Augustine, Fla. said the Gathering of Eagles prided themselves on not being arrested at protests. "We just want a chance to show America we don't agree with the vocal minority."

Staff writers Alison Klein, Nelson Hernandez, Katherine Shaver and Michelle Boorstein contributed to this report.