Over the past week, in St. Louis and in cities around the world, antiwar demonstrators have organized public protests telling President George W. Bush that his plans for a war with Iraq will have unjust and immoral consequences–both with regards to human rights as well as America’s economic state.

In addition to participating in a worldwide day of anti-war action on Saturday, many St. Louisans also took part in peace vigils: a march and rally on Monday in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. and a demonstration against Bush as he visited St. Louis yesterday morning.

In Washington, D.C. alone, tens of thousands of protesters marched Saturday in what D.C. police called the largest demonstration held in the city in recent times.

Demonstrators gathered on the National Mall and listened to remarks from Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, as well as other well-known activists. Crowds then marched from the Mall to the Navy shipyards on the southeast side of the city, occupying two miles of street.

The number of people present was originally estimated from 50,000 to 500,000, but Rick LaMonica, who helped organize a faction of protesters from St. Louis, said the low-end estimate was now 300,000 and he would estimate it to be higher than that.

About 1,100 people demonstrated in three Florida cities, and San Francisco police estimated their crowds at 50,000, although organizers from the A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) coalition say it was closer to 100,000. Among those present in San Francisco were Martin Sheen and Joan Baez. There were also antiwar rallies in Tokyo, Paris, Cairo and Moscow.

LaMonica, chairman of the St. Louis chapter of the Alliance for Democracy, Bob Berlin, from Columbia, Mo., and Rebecca Walker, from southeast Missouri, helped organize transportation to Washington for more than 300 people from their respective regions. Some from St. Louis also traveled separately.

Among the groups, there were about 40 Saint Louis University students and a handful of faculty members.

“I think that the administration hasn’t proven to the world that force is necessary,” said senior Emily Weiss, who attended the rally in Washington and the Bush protest yesterday. “It’s its job to prove that, and it hasn’t.”

Weiss said that she was encouraged by the number of signs in Washington expressing support and concern for the safety of U.S. troops and was also pleased to hear positive support from friends in Tokyo and Europe, with whom she spoke when she got home.

“I think it’s important that we realize it’s going on all over the world and that we’re all supporting each other,” Weiss said.

As protesters began to trickle back from Washington on Sunday evening, about 400 people assembled on the steps of St. Francis Xavier College Church and spilled over to the east side of Grand Boulevard for the Instead of War coalition’s weekly peace vigil.

The number of people was far larger than usual, mostly because of the international day of action and the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, which participants recognized by reading from King’s 1967 denouncement of the Vietnam War and singing “We Shall Overcome.”

That spirit continued into Monday morning’s Martin Luther King holiday activities. Instead of War members comprised a strong contingent of the 2,500 marchers who walked from the Old Courthouse downtown to Grand Center, where 1,800 people attended an interfaith service at Powell Symphony Hall.

Demonstrators were in action again Wednesday morning, amid the news that the leaders of France and Germany said that any Security Council decision on Iraq would have to await a report from U.N. weapons inspectors.

About 150 protesters, who not only opposed Bush’s war policies but also his proposed economic stimulus plan, rallied outside the J.S. Logistics building in south St. Louis City while Bush spoke inside about those very issues.

The next major international day of antiwar action is planned for Feb. 15, when protesters will converge upon New York City and in Jefferson City, Mo.

LaMonica said that coordinating such events has become much easier with the Internet, especially with Instead of War’s new Web site, www.insteadofwar.org.

The Web site keeps members informed of weekly peace vigils and other events through e-mails.