11:42am UK, Tuesday July 26, 2005

A group of grannies have appeared in court charged with criminal trespass after attempting to sign up for military service in Iraq.

The campaigning US women belong to a group called The Raging Grannies of Tuscon, which has protested against the war every week for three years.

180 grannies singing protest in america

Sing-a-long-a-protest

The five pensioners entered a military recruitment centre in Arizona singing anti-war songs and claiming they wanted to join the army.

Pat Birnie, the group's spokeswoman, said: "We were told protesters weren't allowed on the premises but we said we were there to enlist.

"We would rather offer ourselves up and have our grandchildren brought home out of harm's way."

The women made it through just two of their protest songs before police arrived.

Mrs Birnie, 75, added: "We want all the young men and women in service to return home.

"They had no business being there to begin with and are in harm's way and causing harm to innocent people. We believe diplomacy should be used rather than violence."

The women in their 60s and 70s, and four journalists, were told to return to court for a pre-trial hearing on August 19.