Ten peace vigils were held throughout the Salt Lake Valley Sunday to protest possible military action in Iraq.

It was part of a global vigil for peace. About 6,240 peace vigils had been planned throughout the world for Sunday after retired South Africa Anglican Archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Desmond Tutu and other religious leaders called for prayers for peace.

In the northeast corner of Lindsey Gardens Park, near M Street and 8th Avenue in Salt Lake City, adults and children held luminaries they made with candles and wax cups. For about 30 minutes, they silently hoped and prayed for peace.

About 70 people attended. "I'm surprised. There were only 29 on the Internet who signed up for it," said Avenues resident David Knutson, who organized the effort on the Web site www.moveon.org.

Kristy Lundahl hadn't demonstrated for peace before Sunday.

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"I think it's important for Salt Lake residents and Utah residents to have their voices heard. I think there are a lot of people who don't support war in Iraq," she said.

Lundahl is a pacifist, but said the opposition for a war in Iraq crosses political lines. "People seem against this war," she said.

For Tessa Epstein, who judges each potential military conflict individually but is against pending action in Iraq, the vigil will show the world war "is not the way to resolve disputes, conflicts or issues."

"It's people coming together to express their opinion," Epstein said. "There are many ways — letter writing, letters to the press and this."

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