CAMPAIGNERS against war with Iraq took their message to York's Imphal Barracks and a city petrol filling station.

About 160 peace protesters gathered in a line outside the army barracks in Fulford Road last night, linking arms and holding candles and banners aloft, while soldiers watched from within.

The line blocked the closed main entrance gates to the base, but police said the army had been aware of the planned protest and there was no problem of obstruction.

Leading protester Bill Shaw said the demonstration symbolised their desire for soldiers not to be sent from Imphal to Iraq to fight and die on behalf of the United States of America.

The campaigners, who included trade union members from City of York Council, students from York University and Christian groups including Quakers, then marched down Fulford Road to a Total filling station, where they staged a short and silent sit-down protest in the road.

Mr Shaw said this demonstration, followed by chants of "No blood for oil," related to the significance of oil in America's determination to go to war against Iraq.

"American policy is really about oil," he claimed. "Saddam Hussein is a dictator but if he grew carrots rather than producing oil, America wouldn't be bothered."

The march gathered extra supporters as it wound through into the city centre to complete a day of action with a "people's Parliament" in St Sampson's Square.

A crowd of more than 200 heard a CD giving the genuine sounds of warfare, from an air raid siren to the crying of a child for its parents, before up to 20 people from the crowd came forward to speak against the looming war in the Middle East.

Updated: 12:10 Friday, November 01, 2002