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THOUSANDS of singing and chanting demonstrators marched through the streets of the western US city of Denver today to protest the prospect of war with Iraq as US President George W Bush arrived here for a fundraising event.

The more than 2,000-strong protest was organised by a group called "Coloradans Against Bush's War on Iraq" and was timed to coincide with Bush's appearance at a $US1,000 ($A1,846.72) a plate Republican fundraising luncheon at a Denver hotel.

"The turnout exceeded our wildest expectations by a large margin," said organiser Howard Greenebaum, after placard-waving marchers faced off at the luxury hotel where Bush was expected to appear.

Placards screamed anti-war slogans including "How About A Regime Change In the US?", "Help End World Terror", "Impeach The Bush Gang," and "No Blood For Oil," while protesters chanted "No war for votes!"

A small number of pro-Bush demonstrators were also on hand to show their support to greet the president.

"I believe that we represent the centre of our country, and that most people support our president," said Gail Gravina.

Protesters said they were trying to draw public attention to the dangers of a US-led attack on Iraq, a course of action heavily advocated by the Bush administration, which has made no secret of its desire to rid the country of Saddam Hussein and the threat of his suspected program of weapons of mass destruction.

"An invasion and occupation will only rally the Iraqi people to Saddam's regime," said Ibrahim Kazerooni, a local Islamic clergyman who himself escaped from Hussein's regime in 1974.

"No matter how much Iraqis despise their leaders, history shows that they will not welcome or support an invading army."

Former US Navy intelligence officer Frank Ohrtman said he felt that the Bush administration's eagerness to tackle Saddam was motivated by the US government's political agenda.

"I fear the president's policy to invade and occupy Iraq has more to do with domestic politics than any actual threat," he said.

"I served in the Gulf War, and I intimately know Iraq's capabilities. Iraq has no means of delivering any weapon, biological, nuclear or chemical, much beyond their borders."

Inside the fundraiser out of earshot of demonstrators, Bush defended himself from charges of war-mongering, saying the United Nations has a chance to disarm Iraq before he orders unilateral US military action.

"I'm willing to give peace a chance to work. I want the United Nations to work," he told the guests amid charges from opposition Democrats that disaster could result from Washington acting alone without the support of its key allies.