Thousands of protesters turned out in several cities in the Netherlands on Saturday to protest against US President George W. Bush's visit later in the day.
National television channels showed that thousands of Dutch people took to the streets in Amsterdam, Maastricht and some other cities.
Bush is expected to arrive in Maastricht , The Netherlands Saturday evening for a short visit to the Margraten US military cemetery where he will attend a wreath laying ceremony Sunday morning.
More than 150 people walked to the streets in central Maastricht, the National Television NOS reported in the evening.
They held anti-Bush banners and shouted anti-Bush slogans. In Amsterdam, many of them carried signs reading "George W. Bush: War criminal."
In Amsterdam, a colorful crowd of some 2,000 protesters gathered on the Museum Square to harangue Bush.
Some protesters said that they did this just to show that they did not agree with Bush's policies.
During the two-day visit to the Netherlands, Bush will hold talks with Dutch leaders and students as well.
In an interview with the Dutch National Television NOS just before leaving for his Europe tour, Bush said that he chose Holland because it made so much contribution in the fight against fascism and terrorism and so many US soldiers died on the Dutch and German soil during the Second World War.
The Margraten cemetery is the only US military cemetery in the Netherlands. More than 8,000 US soldiers were buried in the 16 plots of the cemetery built in 1944.