Carrying American flags and stepping to the sounds of country music, a small but determined group of people rallied in San Francisco on Saturday to show support for US troops in Iraq in a city that has been home to perhaps the most active US anti-war movement.
San Francisco, long a bastion of liberal dissent, has been a flashpoint of anti-war sentiment in recent weeks, with more than 2,000 people arrested since the start of the war.
But on Saturday afternoon a few hundred "American Patriots" transformed the front lawn of City Hall into something that could have come straight out of the more traditional US midwest, where conservative values and patriotism play a bigger role in the social landscape.
"We all support our troops and our president to dethrone the oppressive Iraqi regime. We are all patriots here and we have God on our side," said Mr Les Erekson, a native of San Francisco and former US navy sailor.
"For weeks all we have seen here are the protests from liberals who don't give a damn about America.
"What we're doing is something the rest of America supports," added Mr Erekson, waving a giant American flag.
Saturday's rally was mostly peaceful, with no reported arrests, in sharp contrast to much bigger and more costly anti-war protests in San Francisco in recent weeks that have seen violence and forced police to work hours of overtime.
Police, some wearing small American flags tied to their heads, did have to break up a few shouting matches on Saturday between "pro-troop" protesters and some passersby against the US-led war in Iraq.
But for the most part, participants at the rally focused their attention on a makeshift stage, where a small number of speakers and singers came to show their support for US troops and the American-led war in Iraq.
"I am so proud of our president. The Iraqi people have as much right to freedom as we do," said Ms Vicki Berol (60), a San Francisco native.
"I don't know anyone who is serving over there, but they are all my sons and daughters," she added.
A Gallop survey for CNN and USA Today released on Friday said public support for the war remained steady at about 70 per cent, in line with findings from other opinion polls released on Friday.
However, the number of Americans who thought the conflict was going "very well" tumbled after news reports about US military setbacks and Bush administration comments cautioning against a quick military victory.
The Gallop poll said just 34 per cent of Americans surveyed last Monday and Tuesday thought the war was going very well, far below the 62 per cent seen last Saturday. - (Reuters)