SEATTLE - Monday marked four years since the start of the U.S.-led invasion in Iraq. In that time, 3,217 members of the U.S. military have been killed in the war, and the cost to the United States has reached nearly $500 billion.

President Bush's approval rating is now close to his all-time low, but he believes in what he's doing and is standing firm. Protesters in Seattle hoped to send a strong message to the president to end the war and bring the troops home.

It began as two separate marches. The group Jobs With Justice gathered at the Federal Courthouse at 3 p.m., and the Troops Home Now Coalition marched from Westlake Park.

The two marches weaved through Downtown Seattle, eventually meeting at the Federal Building for a rally that lasted about 30 minutes. In all, about 1,000 demonstrators made it to the rally.

The march was mostly peaceful. There was a minor standoff with police who wanted to keep Second Avenue clear, and one person was arrested for refusing to leave. But eventually, the protestors agreed to move onto the heavily-guarded federal building grounds.

The group was not only focused on getting the military out of Iraq, but using the money spent on the war for health care and education.

"I think that, you know, there's many things in this country that we could put our vast resources towards other than fighting an unjust war," one of the demonstrators said.

For one veteran anti-war protestor, the rally was the culmination of a five-day, 655,000-step journey through Seattle.

"We took 655,000 steps, that's one step for every Iraqi who has died as of last July, since the U.S. Invasion," he said.

Protestors say the longer this war goes on, the more people will stand up against it. For some, this was their first protest.

"You make noise, you maybe get some attention, maybe somebody like me who hasn't turned out before will turn out the next time, and maybe our collective voice can make a difference," another demonstrator said. "That's what I hope."