Protesters penetrate security during Bush's convention speech

5.00pm

NEW YORK - A handful of protesters were arrested at the Republican convention on Thursday night as President George W Bush accepted the party's nomination for another term, and thousands of people on the street near the convention chanted "No More Bush."

One woman protester inside the convention arena took off her dress revealing a pink slip that said "fire Bush, women say bring the troops home now." The incident culminated a week of demonstrations against the Iraq war and other Bush policies in which at least 1800 people have been arrested.

Demonstrators have repeatedly accused Bush of lying about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction as the reason for invading Iraq. No weapons stockpiles have been found and thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed.

It was the third night running that protesters penetrated security and entered the convention hall. Among them were members of the activist group Code Pink, which said in a statement, "We want to ask how can they secure the country if they cannot secure their own convention."

In the three hours before the start of Bush's address, about 10,000 protesters gathered within two blocks of the Madison Square Garden convention arena. As Bush began speaking inside the hall, the crowd noise outside built to a roar and then became a chant of "No More Bush."

Earlier on Thursday, police arrested 29 people in a variety of protests across the city, including a morning rush hour demonstration in which 200 activists swarmed into Grand Central Station, hung banners and chanted "Fight Aids, not war."

Many protesters say the Bush administration has not done enough to fight Aids.

Police said at least 1800 people were arrested in a week of demonstrations and acts of civil disobedience, the most in the history of a US political convention.

One consequence of the large number of arrests has been a strain on the court system to formally charge people within 24 hours as required by law.

New York State Supreme Court Judge John Cataldo on Thursday ordered that 500 people who had been held for more than 40 hours should be processed and released. The judge took the unusual step of holding the city in contempt, and by the end of the night, the jailed protesters were let go.

Activists of the A31 Action Coalition and civil liberties groups complained that police have been over-zealous dealing with peaceful protests, sometimes arresting people who were passersby. But New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said officers had been restrained amid provocation from demonstrators.

Police said that among items confiscated from protesters were gas masks, homemade forearm pads and other types of protective gear, marbles, spray paint, razors and jagged-edged wooden poles.

- REUTERS