200 arrested in US war protests

Washington: Over 200 people were arrested across the US as protesters marking the fifth anniversary of the US-lead invasion of Iraq obstructed downtown traffic and tried to block access to government offices.

In San Francisco, where anti-Iraq war sentiment has traditionally been high, police arrested more than 100 people who protested in the central business district, a spokesman said.

There were 32 arrests in Washington after demonstrators attempted to block entrances to the IRS, while 30 others were arrested outside a congressional office building, police said.

Protesters had hoped to shut down the IRS to highlight the cost of the war. Police cleared the building's entrances within an hour.