LONG BEACH - While thousands of people around the world protested the war in Iraq on its one-year anniversary Saturday, a much smaller group of people gathered at Veterans Park in Long Beach to rally for peace.

"It's different because we're for peace," said activist Coby Skye, who helped organize the event which drew about 60 people. "We're not anti-war, anti-occupation or anti-anything today ... We're very solutions-oriented."

City Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal joined other speakers in saying that nations wouldn't have to go to war if there were greater understanding between them.

"We are all one, and we have to do whatever it takes to find peaceful ways to solve our problems," she said. "It seems every day we read about casualties. It's deeply disturbing ... all of us can work out our problems without using any military force, and without losing any lives."

Youth advocate Dave San Jose helped bring strangers together by nudging members of the audience to find another person, and then told them to hug one another. "For a brief moment at a small place in Long Beach, there was peace," he said.

"Every time we as adults teach anger and violence … that's where the kids learn it," San Jose said. "When we show love, we're also teaching that."

Jane Brady of Seal Beach thought about taking her 11-year-old son, Sam Brady, to the much larger rally that took place in Hollywood Saturday, but opted instead for Long Beach.

"The idea of focusing on what we're against isn't what we want here, as much as focusing on what we're for," she said. "Visualizing people being kind with one another … all these people are here for that reason."

The rally featured information tables from local peace groups, and the Long Beach Police Department had a table with community-service information.

Activist Karen Reside agreed that the rally had a positive message.

"I think it's a wonderful opportunity to make a statement about peace in the community," she said. "We definitely need more peace."

For information, call (562) 435-5836 or visit cagreens.org/longbeach/lbpf.htm.