Nara Takakawa, left, and Sharon Reilly, right, hold candles and a sign with a message to President Bush, during a silent candlelight vigil in support of Cindy Sheehan, the mother of soldier Casey Sheehan. The vigil took place in Honolulu, Hawaii, Wednesday, August 17, 2005. [AP Photo]

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- From Washington DC to US President George W Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, at least 60,000 people held candlelights, flowers and anti-war signs, and chanted in vigils Wednesday night to support the "anti-war mom" Cindy Sheehan.

    Since her son was killed last year in Iraq, Sheehan, a common mother from California, has become an anti-war icon in the United States.

    She has camped since Aug. 7 near Bush's ranch to request an in-person meeting with him and urged him to withdraw all US troops from Iraq immediately.

    At her campsite, Sheehan said each one was a valuable human life and an indispensable member of his or her family, so they should not be the "playthings for the people who lust for greed and power."

    According to estimates of MoveOn.org, the organizer for the nationwide protest Wednesday night, at least 60,000 people in all 50 states participated in the demonstration.

    Outside Bush's Crawford ranch, some 200 supporters held white candles and read the names of soldiers who died in Iraq.

    Sheehan lit a candle in front of a white cross with her son Casey's name on it.

    She shook hands with an Iraq War veteran, saying it was like holding "the hand of my own son."

    "I will never get to see him again, I will never get to hear his voice again," she sobbed.

    

Cindy Sheehan get a hug from a supporter at her camp near President Bush's ranch near Crawford, Texas, Monday, Aug. 15, 2005. Sheehan's vigil to meet with President Bush is entering its' second week. [AP]

Back in Washington DC, hundreds of people gathered in front of the White House to show support for Sheehan, and urged Bush to meet her.

    "Meet with Cindy, tell her the truth," "End the war now," they chanted.

    So far, Bush has not responded to Sheehan's request to meet her. He said last week that he sympathized with her feelings but the US troops can not be pulled back.

    Since the war in Iraq started three years ago, over 1,800 Americans have been killed there and thousands wounded. The numberof casualties is rising almost everyday.

    Recent opinion polls found that there is a growing dissatisfaction in the United States with the way Bush handles thewar, and more and more people are joining the anti-war camp. Enditem