Protests punctuate 5-year Iraqi war mark

WASHINGTON, March 19 (UPI) -- Anti-war protesters demonstrated Wednesday at several Washington landmarks, including the IRS building and the American Petroleum Institute.

In the second day of a two-day protest marking the fifth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq, protesters roamed from intersection to intersection in Washington and demonstrated in front of several facilities organizers said they believed were responsible for prolonging the Iraqi conflict, The Washington Post reported.

Police reported few arrests.

Demonstrations were reported from coast to coast.

"The war continues. People continue to die. We don't want our tax dollars spent on funding the war in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Ed Hedemann, 63, who traveled from New York to Washington to protest. "I refuse to pay my taxes for it."

Both Democratic presidential hopefuls discussed the war in Iraq on the stump.

"I will end this war," U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said of one of his first acts if elected president. "It is the right thing to do."

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., said the country "needs a commander in chief who will end the war in Iraq and bring (the troops) home."