An rally against abortion held earlier this year drew an estimated 67,000 people, up somewhat from 50,000 at a similar rally in 1988.

It was able to attract hundreds of thousands to the Grand National Assembly in 1989, but only a few hundred to similar rallies in 1993.

There are dozens of police officers watching over the demonstrators, just as there was at a similar rally the week before.

At the same time a similar rally was held in Kaliningrad.

A similar rally is scheduled for Saturday.

A similar rally last year ended in a violent confrontation with the police.

Though tiny compared with similar rallies in Puerto Rico, the New York gathering did not lack passion.

Last week a smaller but similar rally took place in Firdos Square in downtown Baghdad.

A similar rally was held in 1973 before Leonid I. Brezhnev, then the Soviet leader, visited the capital.

A similar rally on July 11 at the offices of the bargaining unit for the city's private hospitals drew about 20,000 people.