WASHINGTON – Thousands of workers gathered Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to demonstrate in what has been labeled a "Million Workers March" (search) for jobs, universal health care and an end to the war in Iraq.
The National Park Service (search) gave organizers a permit to use the memorial grounds all afternoon. But while the demonstration has the word "million" in the title, and organizers expected about 100,000 people, only about 10,000 workers attended the march organized by labor unions that represent 3.5 million workers.
The nation's largest labor group, the AFL-CIO (search) did not endorse the meeting, which was seeking to have an impact on turnout. AFL-CIO officials say the organization is busy now with get-out-the-vote efforts in advance of Election Day, Nov. 2.
Sgt. Scott Fear of the Park Service said buses had been arriving from all over the country to drop people off near the memorial. He said organizers had worked with police in advance of the demonstration and no problems had been expected.
Speaking at the event are Rev. Jesse Jackson (search) and Martin Luther King III, among others.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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