Several thousand anti-war demonstrators gathered Thursday for a march in downtown Chicago to protest the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war and the use of torture against suspected terrorists at home and abroad.

The march, which started at Grant Park, continued along Jackson Boulevard, turning right at Dearborn Street before ending with a rally at Federal Plaza, a route of three-and-a-half blocks.

Earlier Thursday, U.S. District Judge David Coar denied the protestors' request to march a longer, 2.5-mile route from Grant Park to Federal Plaza. Logistics may have played a significant role in his decision, as rally organizers expected between 10,000 and 15,000 people to attend the event.

Austin District police Cmdr. Al Wysinger estimated that the crowd total peaked at about 1,500 to 2,000 protestors.

Coar's ruling essentially compressed the march--organized by the New York-based group "World Can't Wait: Drive Out the Bush Regime"--to about half an hour. The march, which started at 2 p.m., snarled traffic in downtown Chicago.

"The government feels as it's okay to lock people up with no trial," said Tanja Murray, spokeswoman for World Can't Wait. "Causing a crimp in traffic is nothing compared to what's going on in this country."

Officers from the Chicago police and the Illinois State Police--including several in riot gear and on horseback--were ready en masse to block traffic and maintain order. Just before the 4:00 p.m. rally at Federal Plaza was about to begin, a large number of the police force deployed boarded buses and left the area.

According to Murray, the initial show of force was unnecessary given the number of people.

"I think the police have created quite an intimidating scene," Murray said.

However, the march, featuring chants such as, "George Bush belongs in jail -- U.S. troops are not for sale," accomplished one thing: visibility.

"We're marching to show Chicago that what [Bush did] will not go unnoticed," said Kim Beily, 21, a student organizer attending Columbia College. "We're hoping to create an atmosphere of resistance."

While the march had plenty of spectators lining the sidewalks, at least one remained skeptical.

"I think it's a good cause, but I'm not sure what [the marchers] will accomplish," said Frankie Kelly, of Aurora. "I don't think they have as many people to do what they want to get done."