The demonstration was one of a dozen rallies across the United States to raise international attention on the conflict, which has killed more than 180,000 civilians.
Speakers included celebrity entertainers such as actor George Clooney, politicians, athletes, US officials, Darfur refugees and other activists.
'What I saw in Darfur is a dishonour and shame to mankind,' said Paul Rusesabagina, whose effort to save more than 1,000 people during the 1994 Rwanda genocide was the subject of last year's film Hotel Rwanda.
Rusesabagina said he visited Sudan's western region, and 'what I saw in Darfur is exactly what I saw going on in Rwanda.'
The rallies come as US President George W Bush and the United Nations have been pressuring the Sudanese government to end the 3- year-old conflict with rebels, which continues to take a heavy toll on Darfur's civilian population.
Peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria between the Khartoum government and two Darfur rebel groups remained at a stalemate Sunday as a deadline expired on an African Union peace proposal.
Bush, who has described the violence in Darfur as genocide, had urged both sides to reach an agreement and ordered his administration last week to freeze the assets of four individuals believed responsible for bloodshed, including a general in the Sudanese government, two leaders of the government backed militias and a rebel leader.
Also speaking at the rally in front of the US Capitol building was US Olympic speedskater Joey Cheek, who told reporters it was important for celebrities to speak up.
'We are citizens of a global community,' he said.
Cheek, who won gold and silver medals at this year's Winter Games, donated his 40,000-dollar US Olympic Committee bonus to benefit children in Darfur.
The Washington rally featured music as thousands of participants squeezed toward the stage to hear the featured speakers, who also included Democratic Representative Tom Lantos and US Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of the Washington Roman Catholic archdiocese also addressed the audience.
Many demonstrators carried signs, one of which said simply 'help them.'
Although the United Nations estimates that 180,000 people have perished, other estimates are much higher.
Bush had endorsed the rallies, calling for a strong turnout as a way to 'urge the world to unite with the United States in concerted action.'
A failure to reach a peace agreement could trigger the UN Security Council to send peacekeeping troops into the region. The Security Council has already approved the mission, which is opposed to by the Sudanese government. A UN force would take over for a 7,000-strong African Union force, which has been unable to stop the fighting and protect civilians.
Sunday's rallies were meant to urge Bush to fulfil a February pledge to support a stronger multinational force to protect people in Darfur and to press the US Congress to free funds for such a mission, organizers said.
The Bush administration's push for a Darfur resolution drew fire this week from al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who called on Islamic fighters to turn Darfur into the next battleground.
In an audiotape, the terrorist network chief accused the US of exploiting disputes between tribes in Darfur to fuel conflict as a pretext for sending a 'crusade army' to seize Sudanese oil resources.
Clooney this month visited Sudan and neighbouring Chad, where many Darfur refugees have sought shelter, to raise awareness of the crisis. In the US, he has been making television appearances to publicize the issue.
© 2003 - 2006 by Monsters and Critics.com, WotR Ltd. All Rights Reserved. All photos are copyright their respective owners and are used under license or with permission. * Note M&C cannot be held responsible for the content on other Web Sites.
Arts - Books - DVD - Forums - Home - Movies - Music - People & Celebrity - Science - Soundtracks - Sport - Tech - TV - World News
About Us - The Team - Advertise - Contact - Join the Team - Privacy - RSS Feeds - Site Map - Terms & Conditions - Webmasters
Servers supplied by Servint
