Thousands of anti-war protesters staged a mass "die-in" around the venue of Labour's annual conference to call on Tony Blair to bring back troops from Iraq - and then resign.
Organisers of the demonstration in Manchester said up to 60,000 people from across the country joined the event, which passed off peacefully.
Police put the estimated numbers at up to 20,000 and praised the behaviour of the crowds during four hours of speeches and marching.
The most dramatic moment of the protest came when the demonstrators lay down in roads around the conference centre to symbolise the number of people killed in the conflict in Iraq.
A group of activists splattered themselves with fake blood and held up a coffin containing a "grim reaper" wearing a Tony Blair mask to start the sit down protest.
Andrew Murray, chairman of the Stop The War Coalition, which helped to organise the protest, said the number of people on the march had exceeded expectations and showed increasing anger at the government's foreign policies.
Labour MP Michael Meacher told the rally that the most important date to emerge from Labour's conference this week should be the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq.
He warned that the presence of troops from Britain and the United States was now making things worse in Iraq and said tensions will only reduce once they leave.
Tony Woodley, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union said Mr Blair's conduct in recent months, especially over the conflict in the Lebanon had been an "absolute disgrace".
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A group of military families whose relatives have died in Iraq set up a peace camp in Manchester earlier this week and they were at the head of the march.
