One of President George W Bush's neighbours will allow dozens of war protesters, who have camped in roadside ditches the past 11 days, to stay in his land giving them more room and halving their distance from Bush's ranch.
Fred Mattlage, an Army veteran, said he sympathises with the demonstrators whose makeshift camp off the winding, two-lane road leading to Bush's ranch has angered most residents. Mattlage said the group will be safer on his corner 1-acre lot.
"I just think people should have a right to protest without being harassed," Mattlage told The Associated Press on Tuesday night.
"And I'm against the war. I don't think it's a war we need to be in."
Cindy Sheehan of Vacaville, California, started the vigil on August 6 to honour her son Casey, who was killed in Iraq last year. Sheehan has vowed to remain through Bush's month-long ranch visit unless he meets with her and other grieving families.
Mattlage's offer, accepted by the protesters, will put them about a mile from Bush's ranch, said Hadi Jawad of the Crawford Peace House, which is helping the group.
Demonstrators said they would start moving their tents, anti-war banners and portable toilets to the new site and hope to have the new camp set up in time for a dusk candlelight vigil.
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