(VOVworld)- Waving signs and placards, some 200 protesters gathered at the White House on Saturday before marching to Capitol Hill, in a demonstration opposing possible US military strikes against Syria.
The midday rally was one of several planned in cities across the United States on Sunday and ahead of larger planned protest in Washington on Monday. Sarah Sloan, of the ANSWER Coalition, the group organising the protest, said in a statement before the demonstration, that congressional offices are being flooded with calls, faxes and emails. She said American people are telling the elected representatives from their district that they should vote no on the war resolution. The protests were held with the nation sharply divided over President Barack Obama's efforts to launch military strikes against Syria.

Demonstrators march after a rally on Times Square September 7, 2013 in New York City. (Ramin Talaie/Getty Images/AFP)

In related news, Russian State Duma’s international affairs committee head Alexei Pushkov said the U.S. is wrong if it expects that a strike on Syria would prompt North Korea and Iran to drop their nuclear weapons programs.

Syria’s State news agency SANA reported that the national leadership of the Arab Socialist Baath party on Saturday discussed with other Syrian parties the latest developments in light of threats to launch an attack against Syria. He said the Baath party leadership decided to go into permanent session starting from Sunday and going forward indefinitely. Assistant to the leader of the Baath Party, Hilal Hilal Amin said that all parties in Syria will put aside their differences to join efforts to defend the country.