Meanwhile, anti-war groups were taking to the streets in Australia and the Far East. In Sydney, daredevil activists painted a three-metre high "no war" slogan across the top of part of the city's Opera House.

Protesters also made their voice heard in Australia's parliament, where one man in the public gallery screamed "murderer, scumbag" as the prime minister, John Howard, announced his decision to commit 2,000 troops to an Iraq invasion force. The protester was dragged from the chamber by security guards.