ALBANY — To mark the fifth anniversary of the American invasion of Iraq, about 45 protesters held a rally in front of the Capitol on Wednesday and called for an end to the war.

“It’s the fifth anniversary. We need to remember what started five years ago and the lack of information and lies that we were told about weapons of mass destruction,” said Pat Beetle, who represents Grannies for Peace, which has 65 members in the Capital Region and is an offshoot of the group Women Against War.

She said the group held the vigil to call for an immediate end to the destructive Iraq war and occupation. “Our hearts are broken to think of all those in Iraq and the U.S. who’ve lost their lives, been wounded or driven from their homes in the past five, long years,” Beetle said as she stood in a cold, hard rain.

“We mourn especially the disgraceful treatment of the nearly 30,000 vets wounded in mind and body by the war.”

She said the group wants the Bush administration to increase resources to care for wounded veterans. “We call for an end to the killing and a commitment to the healing both in Iraq and here at home.”

Many motorists who drove by the noontime protest honked in support of the message, others just drove by and gave little notice to the group.

Beetle said chapters of Grannies for Peace were holding similar rallies nationwide in 20 cities Wednesday calling on the Bush administration to increase resources to care for wounded veterans.

Several different groups participated in the peace vigil that started at noon Wednesday, despite the cold rain and raw temperatures.

“I want this war stopped tomorrow if possible,” said Maude Easter of Delmar, also a member of Grannies for Peace and Women Against War. “I am heartbroken over the deaths of 100,000 Iraqis and nearly 4,000 Americans,” she said.

She got involved over concerns about her own godson who recently turned 20 years old. Easter said the U.S. should negotiate, rather than think it can solve problems by fighting other countries.

Elaine Klein, a member of Schenectady Neighbors for Peace, said the group was calling for an end to the war and new priorities for people, including health care and care for the veterans. “We pay a lot of money on taxes in New York, we want to see that veterans are taken care of and Iraq citizens are taken care of.”

The local rally came just as President Bush said Wednesday at the Pentagon he wouldn’t order troop withdrawals because he didn’t want to jeopardize the hard-fought gains of the past year.

Easter said that individuals should try to keep the pressure on Congress to stop the war and push the presidential candidates to make strong decisive positions on how to get the United States out of Iraq.

Beetle said there are positive diplomatic things that can be done. “We need to renew the belief in diplomacy and talk about solutions,” she said.

A rally and walk for peace will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the West Capital Park in Albany, sponsored by the Northeast Peace and Justice Action Coalition, a group of Albany-area peace and justice groups. In its fliers it said it supports the troops and wants them home now.