NEW YORK (AP) – Musician Michael Stipe, actress Susan Sarandon and activist Cindy Sheehan were among the headliners marking the third anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq with a concert to benefit groups campaigning against the war.

Organizers of the “Bring ‘Em Home Now!” concert said 3,000 tickets were sold, selling out the event that mainly featured a wide array of musical groups.

“The arts can speak about critical issues of our time,” said Chris Wangro, an event producer who helped organize the Monday night concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom.

“I was raised by peace activists,” the musician Moby announced to the packed crowd from a stage flanked by two oversized peace symbols. He then accompanied activist and singer-songwriter Laura Dawn in a rendition of Buffalo Springfield’s Vietnam-era song “For What It’s Worth.”

“It’s awesome to me because there are more and more kids getting involved,” Sheehan said at a press conference before the concert.

Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq, gained international attention last year when she set up a protest camp near President Bush’s ranch in Texas. She was arrested earlier this month in New York during an anti-war demonstration.

“It’s obvious that things aren’t going well over there,” she said Monday. “This is a war based on lies.”

Susan Sarandon said that artists were playing their part in the anti-war effort at the concert and through the movies Hollywood is putting out.

“Look at Syriana, look at Good Night, Good Luck,” Sarandon said of two recent films that deal with issues of war and censorship.

The actress, who said she was in talks to portray Sheehan in a film, said the activist “gave a face to all that was going on.”

For many attending the event, the concert was a benefit with the bonus of top acts.

“It’s good that you get to see a show and support the anti-war cause,” said Dana O’Malley, 36. “I’ve been protesting for years, sadly,” she said.

Bradley Teal, 25, was more skeptical about the usefulness of the event, but said he was looking forward to seeing musician Rufus Wainwright regardless.

“They put a good roster together behind an irrelevant cause,” said Teal, who added he was against the war. “There’s dissent, but it’s not going anywhere.”

Profits from the ticket sales will go to anti-war groups including Gold Star Families for Peace, which counts Sheehan among its founding members, and Veterans Against the War.

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