Thousands protest war, globalization near U.S. base

PISA, Italy -- Some 3,000 anti-global activists kicked off a five-day forum in Italy on Wednesday with a protest outside an American military base against U.S. threats to attack Iraq.

"Yankees Go Home!" the demonstrators shouted as helicopters hovered overhead.

Police in riot gear stood between protesters and the entrance to Camp Darby, a U.S. Army and Air Force base outside Pisa.

Afterward, hundreds of people boarded buses and trains for nearby Florence, where the European Social Forum officially opened Wednesday. The group is the European branch of the World Social Forum, which meets annually in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

The forum runs through Sunday and is expected to feature daily protests, including a major anti-war rally on Saturday.