ARMED with banners and the conviction that war against Iraq is wrong, young and old Suffolk campaigners joined the march in London today.Coaches filled with protesters set off for the anti-war protest in pensive mood in preparation for the peaceful protest.

ARMED with banners and the conviction that war against Iraq is wrong, young and old Suffolk campaigners joined the march in London today.

Coaches filled with protesters set off for the anti-war protest in pensive mood in preparation for the peaceful protest.

"It's so wrong – it's to do with oil and the US wanting to extend its grasp on the world," said Michael Barnard, 15, a student at Suffolk College.

"I have been campaigning for the last four months. I have tried to find out as much about it as possible."

Retired John Bristow, 60, of Portman Road, Ipswich, said: "I'm opposed to war.

"We have the most weapons of mass destruction. I'm not a pacifist, but I'm opposed to unnecessary violence."

Joan Barker, 61, of Mendlesham Green, had never been on a march before but said the threat of war made her want to stand up and be counted among the one million people expected to protest in the capital.

She said: "War is evil, work for peace – I don't think there is a reason to go to war. I don't think there is a tie-up between al Qaida and Saddam Hussein."

Ipswich Stop the War Coalition organised the Suffolk link-up with hundreds of thousands of people opposed to a war against Iraq flooding into London.

The demonstration is being billed as the UK's largest peace protest.

Police put the numbers expected at 500,000, while organisers were hinting there might be up to a million.