Anti-war protest in Downing Street

Guardian Unlimited, Press Association, June 27, 2007

Anti-war campaigners have led protests outside Downing Street as they used Tony Blair's departure to highlight what they feel is his true "legacy".

The demonstrators, including many relatives of soldiers killed in Iraq, shouted slogans and waved placards as the Prime Minister prepared to leave.

Most were kept outside the gates of Downing Street but a handful, including veteran campaigner Rose Gentle, were allowed closer to the front door.

It is believed to be one of the first times that such protesters have been allowed to demonstrate inside Downing Street since new public order legislation was brought in.

Mrs Gentle, 43, whose son Gordon was killed in Basra three years ago on Thursday, said she wanted Mr Blair to speak to her as he departed.

She said: "We thought that he should have left a long time ago and we are here to ask Gordon Brown to change his policy and start to pull people out from Iraq.

"My feelings are so strong towards Tony Blair, the hatred for the man is hard to describe. If he had any decency today, then he would come out for five minutes and speak to us."

Mrs Gentle and the mother of a serving Iraq soldier held pictures of military men killed in Iraq as they shouted towards 10 Downing Street.

At one point, police officers had to ask them to come down from a window ledge from which they screamed for the Prime Minister to leave the building and speak to them.

As they made their protest, growing numbers of demonstrators gathered outside the gates of the famous road in central London.