9,000 protesters gather for London demonstration against Papal tour
Organisers estimated up to 10,000 were due to join the march to Downing Street in opposition to the papal tour, but shortly before the march police put the growing crowd at between 7,000 and 9,000.
Campaigners held aloft banners stating ''the Pope is wrong – put a condom on'' and ''Pope protects paedophile priests'' as they joined the march.
The action is supported by the British Humanist Association and the National Secular Society among others.
Protesters cite a number of grievances against the Vatican's stance on issues ranging from gay rights, the use of condoms and the Church's response to clerical sex abuse.
As they waited to set off, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell accused the Pontiff of obstructing police investigations into paedophile priests.
He said: "The Pope's apologies do not ring true. Even today he is refusing to hand over Vatican files he holds under lock and key. Priests who sexually abused children should. Be brought to justice and the church should do his bit."
Comedian Al Murray also figured among the crowd. He said: ''Like a lot of people I am a perplexed that it is a state visit.
"The Pope's opposition to condoms kills people.
"It is all very well him lecturing us on morals but he should look at his own organisation's view."
Asked how his alter-ego The Pub Landlord would react to the visit, Murray replied ''he doesn't like it either but that is because he is a fan of Henry VIII because of his marriage arrangements''.
Speaking at the march Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society (NSS), said "the days of popes is over".
He said: "This is a secular country, we are a secular nation.
"The Pope should take his religion home with him and leave us to arrange our society as we want it.
"The days of popes is over. We are no longer listening to religious leaders – we get our morality from other places."
The NSS leader added that he was very pleased with the turnout.
"It is heading towards 10,000. It is very gratifying to see secularism on the streets like this."
Calu Lema, a Columbian-born graphic designer who works in London, said she opposed the state visit as "a tax paying lesbian".
She said: "the Pope has a right to come here and people have a right to come and hear him. But why should I, as a lesbian taxpayer, pay for his state visit when he is opposed to women's rights to contraception, opposed to gays and gay marriage and opposed to human rights?
"I respect the rights of Catholics to their faith, but they should respect my rights." READ MORE
Campaigners held aloft banners stating ''the Pope is wrong – put a condom on'' and ''Pope protects paedophile priests'' as they joined the march.
The action is supported by the British Humanist Association and the National Secular Society among others.
Protesters cite a number of grievances against the Vatican's stance on issues ranging from gay rights, the use of condoms and the Church's response to clerical sex abuse.
As they waited to set off, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell accused the Pontiff of obstructing police investigations into paedophile priests.
He said: "The Pope's apologies do not ring true. Even today he is refusing to hand over Vatican files he holds under lock and key. Priests who sexually abused children should. Be brought to justice and the church should do his bit."
Comedian Al Murray also figured among the crowd. He said: ''Like a lot of people I am a perplexed that it is a state visit.
"The Pope's opposition to condoms kills people.
"It is all very well him lecturing us on morals but he should look at his own organisation's view."
Asked how his alter-ego The Pub Landlord would react to the visit, Murray replied ''he doesn't like it either but that is because he is a fan of Henry VIII because of his marriage arrangements''.
Speaking at the march Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society (NSS), said "the days of popes is over".
He said: "This is a secular country, we are a secular nation.
"The Pope should take his religion home with him and leave us to arrange our society as we want it.
"The days of popes is over. We are no longer listening to religious leaders – we get our morality from other places."
The NSS leader added that he was very pleased with the turnout.
"It is heading towards 10,000. It is very gratifying to see secularism on the streets like this."
Calu Lema, a Columbian-born graphic designer who works in London, said she opposed the state visit as "a tax paying lesbian".
She said: "the Pope has a right to come here and people have a right to come and hear him. But why should I, as a lesbian taxpayer, pay for his state visit when he is opposed to women's rights to contraception, opposed to gays and gay marriage and opposed to human rights?
"I respect the rights of Catholics to their faith, but they should respect my rights." READ MORE
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