An "unemployment" line of thousands snaked through New York today to mark jobs lost under President George W. Bush in a quiet protest a day after street scuffles and the arrest of more than 1,000 demonstrators.
Protesters walk down Broadway carrying 1,000 coffins representing the US soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan
The third day of the Republican National Convention brought out 5,000 silent "jobless" marchers carrying leaflets that read "The Next Pink Slip Could Be Yours," referring to the paper notice given those who are laid off.
"We're here to demonstrate that never in America's history since the Great Depression has there been such a consecutive loss of jobs as we've seen in the last four years," said one man who identified himself only as Josh.
The orderly three-mile protest was in stark contrast to street scuffles between activists and police in anti-Bush protests yesterday in which more than 1,000 were arrested.
The next morning, hundreds protested conditions where those arrested were being held before going to court, calling the facility "Guantanamo on the Hudson," a reference to the US naval base housing prisoners from the war in Afghanistan. They said the bus depot at a Hudson River pier was contaminated with oil and asbestos, a charge the police department denied.
With the large number of arrests - political activists say the most at a US political convention with more than 1,500 in six days - there was a backlog in four courtrooms being used to charge protesters.
The symbolic unemployment line winding through Manhattan began a seventh day of protests over the Iraq war and other Bush administration policies, from the economy to the environment and health care. It started in the Wall Street district and stretched north to central Manhattan.
Protesters breached the Madison Square Garden convention hall for the third day when six AIDS activists briefly interrupted a speech by White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card to young Republicans, including Mr Bush's twin daughters.
The group ACT UP said its activists stood up on chairs and held signs to urge the administration to relieve billions of dollars in debt of poor countries to help fund HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs.
On Monday night, an anti-war activist came within feet of Vice President Dick Cheney before being arrested. Last night, two anti-war activists held up signs protesting the US-led war in Iraq and they were arrested.
Republicans formally nominated the president on today to face Democratic Senator John Kerry in the November 2nd elections. Mr Bush will accept his party's nomination tomorrow night.