President Bush laid a wreath Thursday at the grave of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Junior, the assassinated American civil-rights leader, on what would have been Dr. King's 75th birthday.
Mr. Bush memorialized Dr. King as an "American who dedicated his life to freedom, opportunity and equal justice for all." America has come far toward realizing Dr. King's vision, the president said, but he added, "There is still work to be done."
Up to one-thousand protesters shouted their opposition to Mr. Bush when he appeared at the King gravesite in Atlanta, Georgia. They denounced the president's domestic policies and his decision to wage war on Iraq this year, and noted that working for non-violent change was one of Dr. King's core beliefs.
Monday is the annual U.S. holiday honoring Dr. King, who was killed more than 35 years ago. Dr. King led many of the successful efforts to repeal legal discrimination against black Americans in the 1950's and 1960's.
Information for this report is provided by AP.